Pulling Pigtails The High School Way
by catatran33
Summary: As another school year starts, Kate is taken aback by new student, Rick Castle. What will happen when their paths fatefully cross? Will Castle's charm finally win her over? ... CHAPTER 19 1/7/12
1. Chapter 1: City Boy

**A/N: As you may have noticed, for those who have been reading this story, I've completely started over. And for those who have been following, some of the content in the early chapters will be the same as before. In the last month, I've took some of your advice to heart and took some of your ideas and edited my story, creating an outline that I intend to follow. However, that outline isn't finished as of yet. So, ideas are still open to you guys :) But I do have several important events in mind for these two as well as an ending to this entire story.**

**So, enjoy :) ... again? lol.**

...

Tick. _Tock_. Tick. _Tock_. Tick.

_RIIINGGG!_

As the bell rang, the students of Newark High School quickly exited their classes, intent on catching up with friends and passing on the latest news and gossip in the span of five minutes. There were the basic, stereotypical cliques-the jocks, the cheerleaders, the band geeks, the smart people, and the nerds-but what high school didn't? But most of the students at Newark didn't fit into any one category. In a way, they were drifters, sampling and appreciating each aspect of their four year institution. Students, more or less, had a variety of friends. And some were closer than most. But there were always several student people tended to hate for whatever reason. But that's high school. Nothing new there, right?

Kate made her way to her locker, already wishing the school day was over. She took out the books she needed for the rest of the day and tossed the ones she wouldn't need for homework later that night. Checking her shoulder bag, she made sure she had everything before closing her locker. With a hand on the metal door, she was about to slam it shut when something down the hall caught her attention.

Down the hall, near the Senior lockers, groups of boys were goofing off, which occurred on a regular basis. However, today, Kate was intrigued by an unfamiliar figure commanding the attention of a group of boys he was with. From her vantage point, she estimated he was about six feet in height. The tousled dark brown hair gave him an added boyish charm. He was dressed in a fitted baby-blue shirt paired with dark blue jeans and black and white Nike sneakers. _Definitely a new student_, she quickly thought. But on further observation, it seemed as if the guys around him were spellbound, laughing and joking around with the new student as if he had always been one of their own. _Strange_, she thought. _Even the best of them aren't accepted that quickly._ Suddenly, he looked up in Kate's direction, as if he knew someone was watching. She quickly averted her eyes, hoping he didn't see her.

"Hey, he's kinda cute," said a voice from behind her. Startled, Kate spun around, closing her locker in the process.

"Oh, hey, Lanie! I was just—"

"Mhmm. I know what you were doing, girl." Kate blushed slightly. "But, I don't blame you. That boy is damn fine!" Lanie peeked over Kate's shoulder, admiring the object of their conversation. "Very fine, indeed."

"Lanie!"

"What? It's true!"

"Lanie, for all we know he could just be another jerk with a big ego. If he is, he'll just end up making everybody's lives miserable." Just then, several girls joined the group down the hall, flirting with the new addition to Newark. He readily flirted back. "Case in point."

"Dramatic much?" Kate rolled her eyes. "Girl, you don't even know his name, and you're stereotyping him from what you see. Give him a chance. And even if he is what you say he is, he's still easy on the eyes. There's no denying that. He's hot. Period." A smirk appeared on Lanie's lips.

Kate chuckled. "What would Javi think?"

"Oh, hush! Just because I'm taken doesn't mean I can't appreciate a hot guy when I see one!"

Just then, Javi walked up to them. Kate rolled her eyes. "Well, speak of the devil."

"Hey, Kate," greeted Javi.

"Hey, Javi."

Turning his attention to Lanie, he kissed her lightly on the cheek as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Hey, baby. Missed ya."

"Missed ya, too," she murmured as she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"So, what were you ladies talkin' 'bout?"

"The new student," answered Kate, nodding her head down the hallway.

Javi's gaze traveled down the hall, spotting the new kid surrounded by an audience.

"Oh, him. Yeah, he's a nice dude from what I've heard. Have some classes with him, I think. But he hasn't come to any yet. Name's Rick Castle. Hear he moved from the NYC."

"Oh, a city boy? Even better!" said Lanie.

"Hey! I thought I was your man," he said in mock offensive.

"You are." She hugged him tightly in reassurance. "My only man," she added, giving him another kiss.

Kate shakes her head. "All right, lovebirds. Let's get to class before we're late."

As they started walking, Kate chanced another glance at the new student. She gasped lightly. He was looking in her direction. And there was no doubt that he was looking at her. A smile appeared on his lips as he waved to her. Speechless, Kate returned a shy smile. As she turned away to catch up to her friends, she thought to herself, _Did that just really happen? No, it couldn't be. It must have been meant for someone else._ Daring herself, she looked over her shoulder again. He was still staring at her, but this time with a lopsided grin.

...

Rick took his sweet time walking back to the guidance office after he said goodbye to his new found friends. He had been in that damn office all day. It wouldn't be until Monday that he would be able to go to his classes. The reason they gave him was that they needed to sort out his file from his previous school as well as get him acclimated to Newark. When he was told this, he thought, _Seriously?_

It wasn't as if the guidance counselors weren't friendly. They were. And the gossip that rippled through that office was beyond comprehension, which amused Rick to no end. He learned more about the secret lives of his teachers than he would have ever known in his lifetime. But he felt trapped. He needed an out... at least for a period or two.

Rick walked into the guidance office, greeted the secretary, and made his way to see his assigned counselor. Her name was Mrs. Donovan. She was in her late fifties with silver hair and a pair of half-moon glasses. She was the classic image of a grandmother. It fit her well. In many ways, she had a thousand grandchildren to take care of, and she was always happy to help all of them.

"Mrs. Donovan?"

"Yes, my dear. How can I help you?"

"Uhm, well, it's almost the last period of the day. And I was wondering if I could go to my last class, if it's possible." Rick tucked his hands into his pockets as he hesitated. "So, uh, may I go? Please?"

"It's against school policy," she said, and Rick's face fell. "But, I'm going to allow you to go." His face brightened at the sound of freedom. "Just let me check your schedule on the computer before I accidently send you to the wrong class."

"Thank you, Mrs. Donovan."

She typed and clicked away at her computer until she brought up what she was looking for. "You're welcome, Mr. Castle. And you're off to room 222 for Creative Writing." She scribbled a piece of paper. "Just give this to the teacher and you'll be all set," she said smiling, handing Rick the note.

Rick thanked her again and went on his merry way, grinning from ear to ear. As he exited the guidance office, the bell rang. _Creative Writing, here I come!_

...

_One more period_, she thought. _Then, I'm home free!_

Kate stepped into her last class of the day—Creative Writing. She greeted her teacher, Mr. Matthews, and took her seat in the back of the room.

Just as the class was about to start, they were interrupted by none other than the new student. Walking over to the teacher with a note, he stood confidently in the front of the room as he scanned the seas of faces.

Taking the note, Mr. Matthews read its contents before introducing him to the class.

"Well, class," he started. "I guess we have a new student in our mists. Everyone, welcome Mr. Richard Castle—"

"Rick, please," he interjected.

"—I hope everyone will help Mr. Castle get acclimated and up-to-date as to what we've done in this class so far. If there are no more questions, Mr. Castle, you may take a seat beside Ms. Beckett in the back row."

_Oh God, this can't be happening_, she thought. Oh, but it was.

Rick looked over the heads of his fellow classmates. He smiled when he recognized a familiar face.

Kate repeatedly muttered to herself, _Why me? Why me?_

She slowly lowered herself into her seat with each step he took. Once he reached the desk, he whispered a soft "Hey" and smiled at her before taking his seat, just as the teacher began his lesson.

"Uh, hi." Kate tried a small smile, but it ended up being a cross between a pout and a frown. _Could this day get any worse?_

Midway through class, a messenger from the main office knocked on the door, handing a note to Mr. Matthews before leaving from once he came.

"Ms. Beckett, Principal Montgomery would like to see you at the end of the day." Kate nodded. _Okay, maybe this day could get worse._

"Don't worry," said the human being that was seated beside her. "I've had my share of visits to the office. It isn't that bad," he whispered only loud enough for her to hear. "That is, until they ruthlessly hit my ass with a ruler."

Kate looked over at him, skeptical. She snorted softly. "Oh, I bet."

Rick gasped, furrowing his brow. "Ms. Beckett, I'm hurt you would think that of me!"

But the smirk that crept onto his face told her he was just pulling her pigtails. "Right..."

"Anyway, after all these years, I can still feel the sting of the ruler hitting my _precious_ baby bottom." He shuddered.

Kate rolled her eyes at his theatrics. She shot him a glare as he chuckled and turned his attention back towards the front of the room. She sighed. _This is gonna be a long year_, she thought.

...

**I will try to make updates once per week. But, no promises I'm afraid :/ School work will always have to come first.**

**So, you know what to do :) ...again? lol.**


	2. Chapter 2: Ready or Not

**A/N: For those who have been reading this story, I've overhauled it completely as of 8-04-10. The explanation is in Chapter 1. I'd read it again too, but you don't have to.**

**Anyway, this next chapter will seem a little familiar to those who've read this already. Enjoy! Again? lol.**

...

At the dismissal bell, Principal Montgomery was at his desk, concentrating on filling out the last of his paperwork before calling it a day.

Just then, a knock at the door interrupted his concentration. "Come in," he prompted.

Opening the door, Kate peeked in. "Sir, you wanted to see me?"

He looked up with a confused expression, until he remembered that he _had_ asked to speak with her. "Oh, yes! Right, right. Come in, come in," he said gesturing toward the two seats in front of his desk.

Nervously, Kate took her seat and fidgeted with her thumbs. Before Principal Montgomery could say anything, she blurted, "Sir, am I in trouble?"

He stared at her quizzically. "Trouble?," he repeated. "Oh, no, no, no! Far from it, Ms. Beckett. On the contrary, we need your help."

Furrowing her brow, she replied, "Help?"

"Well, more like a favor, actually," he said, giving a wry smile.

"Why me?"

Principal Montgomery smiled. "Well, Ms. Beckett, you _are_ the top in your class. At the current moment, your schedule consists of _all_ the advanced classes Juniors are able to take. And might I add, you're passing them with ease," he said knowingly. Kate blushed slightly as her accomplishments and achievements were being listed off. _This is a little embarrassing…_ "And because of these things, we would like you to tutor someone." That garnered an unsure expression to cross Kate's face, causing him to chuckle. "Don't worry," reassured Principal Montgomery. "He just needs some help on several subjects, all of which you have already taken or are taking."

Kate looked away, thinking of whether or not she really wanted to do this. With a small sigh, Kate relented. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Great!" Principal Montgomery took the phone and called the secretary. "Margaret? You may send him in."

In the next moment, the office door opened slowly. The principal stood up with a small grin on his face. "Well, Ms. Beckett, I'd like you to meet your tutoree—"

Kate slowly turned her head, expecting to see a freshmen or a sophomore, even one of her own classmates. But she didn't expect the boyish smile and the gorgeous blue eyes that met hers. Her jaw dropped. One part of her was utterly speechless and stunned. Another part of her was damning fate.

"—Rick Castle."

The boy raised one of his eyebrows slightly, smiling, loving the shocked face of the beautiful girl he was oh so very fond of.

Kate caught his smug expression, one that said that he had already got her wrapped around his little finger. _Oh, hell no! _

But deep, deep down, she already was.

…

The metal door slammed shut as Kate made her way through the school parking lot. Unfortunately, it was raining. And unfortunately, she didn't have a ride home today, nor an umbrella. But the rain was light and bearable.

_At least my house isn't too far away_, she thought, trying to be optimistic on a day she would rather forget all together. Her home wasn't too far. It was a five to ten minute walk. But that was on a good day.

In all honesty, she would have waited out the rain under the overhang at the school entrance if it weren't for…

"Hey, wait!"

…him.

Kate rolled her eyes and kept walking, making her way through the parked cars, as if she didn't even hear him. In moments though, she could hear his footsteps getting closer until he was right beside her.

"Hey," he said, his breathing slightly uneven from catching up to her, walking in stride with her. But even in the gloomy weather and situation, he flashed his boyish smile.

"Hi," she said curtly. Kate just kept on walking, hoping he'd leave her alone.

"So," he began. "You're gonna be my tutor."

"Mhmm."

"Sweet!" he chirped.

Kate stopped in her tracks and faced him. "Say that again, and I will make you hurt," she warned, pointing a finger at his chest.

Rick raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Geez." But then his smile came back. "But you are cute, though."

Kate rolled her eyes, and began walking again.

"Hey, I meant that in a good way!" Rick sighed, as he kept up with her. "Let me give you a ride home. It's the least I can do."

Kate quirked an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Come on, I won't bite! I promise!"

"But I might," Kate warned.

Rick was taken aback for a fleeting second before answering in Castle form. "Oh, kinky," he said with a smirk. Kate started to walk away again. "Okay, okay, okay. Scouts honor!" Kate hesitated. "Come on, it's raining out. Let me take you home."

_Do I want to tempt fate_, she thought.

"Fine," she relented. "But if you kill me, you're getting one hell of a beating in the afterlife."

A puzzled expression appeared on his face. "Wait. By who?"

"By me." A smirk teased her lips.

"Oh, I think I'd like that!"

Kate closed her eyes and shook her head. _This was gonna be a long, long year._

...

**You know what to do!**


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected Turn of Events

The next day, at the lunch bell, the students of Newark headed to lunch. Most of them were just there to gossip rather than eat their lunches.

Kate and Lanie sat at one end of a long lunch table, facing each other, waiting for the boys to join them.

"You're WHAT?"

"I'm…," Kate said begrudgingly as a look of disgust crossed her face. "…_tutoring_ him."

"_City Boy_? The same City Boy with the gorgeous blue eyes and the pretty smile?" Lanie asked, still in shock.

"Yep…" Kate sat with her chin propped up on her fist as she analyzed the cafeteria food with her fork. It was disgusting at best.

"Oh. My. God," Lanie said excitedly. "Girl, you get to have some one-on-one time with him! He's so hot. I'd go after him if I wasn't already taken."

Kate chuckled at her friend's enjoyment of the whole situation. The thing was, Kate had no doubt that Lanie _would_ have gone after him. At that particular moment, Javi and Kevin decided to join them.

"Hey, what's up," asked Jav, sitting down beside Lanie, as Kevin took the seat next to Kate.

With a grin from ear to ear, Lanie said, "Kate's got a _date_ with City Boy."

"LANIE!"

"What? It's true," Lanie replied mischievously as Kate rolled her eyes dramatically.

Rick was sitting four lunch tables away—the place where many of the popular students sat. A crowd formed around him as he told a story, spellbound by his voice and choice of words. By the end, everyone was laughing so hard they were either bent over the table or falling out of their seat.

"Ooh, a date?" Kevin nudged Kate with his elbow playfully. Only when Kate gave him a death glare did he cower back in fear, knowing full well that he'd pushed her a little too far.

"Keep it up, Kev. And I'll break both your arms." Kevin swallowed hard, and defensively slid away from her, leaving plenty of visible space between them. Kate flashed him a devilish smile. "And it's _not_ a date! I'm _tutoring_ him," Kate informed them.

"Wait. _All_ year?" asked Javi.

"I don't know. I hope not!" Everyone chuckled. "Seriously, I don't think I'd be able to put up with him for more than a couple of days, much less a whole school year!"

"Oh, c'mon," Lanie said playfully. "He doesn't seem that bad!" She looked over her shoulder at the popular table, eyeing the blue-eyed hunk. "I have a feeling he'll surprise you. Don't be a pain in the ass. At least get to know him before you make judgment on him."

"Wise words, baby." Javi lightly kissed her cheek in approval.

"Why, thank you," Lanie cooed as she turned to give her boyfriend a proper kiss.

Kate and Kevin sat still across from their friends, mortified and slightly embarrassed by their overt affection for each other. Kate turned to Kevin, who was on the same page with her, and silently conveyed their discomfort. Staring back at the couple, they simultaneously cleared their throats loudly. Javi and Lanie pulled apart, smiling at each other.

"At least, 'the she-devils' haven't gotten to him yet," Kevin joked, watching Rick talking to his buddies across the room. Then, something caught his eye near the front entrance of the cafeteria. "Whoops, I spoke too soon. Look who showed up."

At the other end of the cafeteria, two female students made their way down the center aisle of the tables with a predatory gait. Meredith, the high maintenance red-head, was the captain of the cheerleading team. And Gina, the blonde—although, intelligent—was known for walking over people to get what she wanted, even if it they were her friends. They were a good pairing.

As they entered the circle of popular students, both of them caught Castle in their sights. Quickly, Meredith and Gina made their move, one latching onto either arm. Although surprised, Castle flashed his oh-so-very-charming smile as he flirted with each of the girls.

"Well, hello ladies," Castle said seductively as he winked at them.

The ditzy tramps giggled and batted their eyes at him. Oh yes, he was loving the attention.

Kate sighed at the sight. "Why am I _not_ surprised?"

Javi laughed. "I just wanna see the catfight! The she-devils are bound to kill each other for him."

"Bet you twenty bucks that it's Gina," challenged Kevin.

"You're on," Javi replied, as he shook Kevin's hand.

Kate just rolled her eyes at their childish game. But she really couldn't deny that he was a pretty hot guy. No girl in her right mind would. But he was off-limits to the majority of the school if he maintained his popular status. And he _was_ a senior after all.

"When are you gonna start tutoring him," asked Lanie.

"We haven't set a date yet," Kate replied. Javi and Kevin snickered while a smile crept onto Lanie's face. Kate's brow furrowed. "You guys are so immature."

"Hey, we didn't say anything! You did," Javi countered. Kate rolled her eyes. "So, when is City Boy gonna start classes? I haven't seen him in any of mine yet."

"I don't know. Probably Monday, right? I'd be the most logical day. A fresh start and all."

"You want me to keep an eye on him?"

"Nah. I can handle myself, _big brother_," she joked.

"Hey, just looking out for ya."

"Yeah, I know. Sometimes a little too much." Kate chuckled.

"Hey, after that 'Will-thing' last year, I can't help but be protective."

"Aww, my man is so sweet!" Javi smiled and gave Lanie a hug. Both Kevin and Kate rolled their eyes.

"Anyway," Kate continued. "That's over and done with. He was an ass anyway."

"He sure was," Lanie said in disgust. "But don't compare him to City Boy. Will was just a bad experience. City Boy might not be."

"Lanie—"

"I know, I know. It's none of my business. All I'm saying is to give him a chance. He might not be the ass you think he is."

Kate directed her gaze at Rick, wondering if Lanie was telling the truth. As if Rick had jedi mind reading powers, he looked her way. He smiled and waved to her, no longer noticing the two girls hanging on his arms.

...

**You know what to do :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Informal Introductions

**A/N: Wow. I'm spoiling you guys! xD Haha. Enjoy :)**

...

Kate wasn't surprised when Rick didn't show up to Creative Writing. Whether or not he was actually detained in the office was beyond her. Oh, well. At least she didn't have to deal with him today.

With another school day over, Kate walked home. Unlike the day before, today was bright and sunny. She looked up at the clouds as a sad smile crept onto her face. It was days like these that made her wonder what it would have been like if her mother were still here.

Just then, her cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Kate fished it out of her jean pocket without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Well, hello, Ms. Beckett."

Kate furrowed her brow, not recognizing the voice. "Who is this?"

"It's me! Rick!" She could hear the smile spread across his face. _I spoke too soon_, she thought.

She sighed. "Castle, how the _hell_ did you get my number?"

"Uhm… the girl who was sitting next to you at lunch today… uhm, what's her name, uhm—"

"Lanie?"

"Yes, yes. That was the name! She introduced herself, but it slipped my mind at the moment. And—"

As Rick rambled on, she thought, _I. Am. Going. To. KILL. HER_! Kate made a mental note to talk to Lanie later that night.

"Castle," she said, cutting him off. "Why did you call me?"

"Oh, right. Just wanted to ask when you wanted to start tutoring me."

"Wow. How studious of you," she said sarcastically.

"Yep. I'm a geek at heart," he said proudly.

"Right…"

"I really am!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "When do you start your classes?"

"On Monday."

"Okay, then we can start the next Monday after that because classes haven't gone into full swing yet."

"Okay. Monday after school?"

"Sure."

"At my place?"

"No."

"Aww, why not," he whined.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Because I don't _know_ you."

"Well, you can _get_ to know me." She could see the smirk and the wiggling eyebrows.

"No."

"C'mon!" He paused. "Please?"

"No!"

"You're no fun," he grumbled. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"The town library after school. Okay?"

"Okay… But I still say that we should do it at my house!"

"In your dreams, Castle."

Suddenly, out of no where, Rick drove up next to her in his truck, honking the horn like a little kid. He waved at her with his cell phone still in hand and rolled down the window. She shut off her phone and stopped walking as the he pulled over.

"What the hell are you doing," she asked as she shook her head in disapproval.

"I was gonna ask if you wanted a ride home again," he said innocently, smiling like a little boy who had done a good deed.

"I don't need one. But thanks."

"Oh, c'mon, I said I wouldn't bite! I got you home safe yesterday, didn't I?"

"Yeah, thanks again for that. But that was already one time too many."

"C'mon, hop in. I need to talk to you anyway."

"You just did."

"No, I mean talk talk. Not school talk. And face-to-face communication is always better anyway," he said, as he propped his forearm on the steering wheel, smiling sweetly.

Kate's conscience told her not to do it. But Lanie's words came back to her: _Get to know him before you make judgment on him_. Lanie was right, of course. Kate couldn't just stereotype him because of the way he acted, much less the people he hung out with. So, with a sigh, she said, "Alright, fine."

Against her better judgment, she opened the door and hopped in. Rick smiled smugly, and pulled into the street.

"You know," he began. "I don't even know your name." He looked over at her innocently. "Come to think of it, you never mentioned it."

"It's Beckett," she said as she gazed out the passenger side window.

"Well, duh," he said chuckling. "I know that. But that's your _last_ name. What's your first name?"

When Kate remained quiet, Rick furrowed his brow. "Well, you already know my name. It's Rick," he said happily as he gestured a hand toward his chest. "Short for Richard of course. Or, 'Castle'—whichever you prefer. And apparently, you prefer the latter," he said knowingly. "So, what's your name," he asked again.

"It…It's Kate," she said reluctantly.

Casting a look at her, he smiled. Kate turned her head toward him and rolled her eyes.

"Kate," he said softly, trying it out. "It's a beautiful name that fits a beautiful girl."

Her emerald gaze darted to meet his sapphire one. His eyes were genuine and serious, belying the playful tone a few seconds earlier. She gasped lightly, realizing that he wasn't joking. Then, a slight blush rose in Kate's cheeks, and she turned away, hoping he hadn't seen it.

He had. A small smile appeared on his lips as he pulled the truck into her driveway.

"Well, welcome home," Rick said, quietly.

She got out of the truck and faced him. "Uhm, thanks again," she said nervously.

"My pleasure. Until tomorrow…Kate," he said lightly, a smiling tugging the corners of his lips. Frazzled, Kate gave a flat smile back before heading toward the door. And with a silly grin, he watched until she disappeared into the house.

…

Later that night, Kate was on her computer doing homework when she got a IM from Lanie:

JsGrl77: hey grl :)

KBexs12: hey

JsGrl77: wats up?

KBexs12: u should kno…

JsGrl77: huh?

KBexs12: i kno wat u did…

JsGrl77: wait. wat?

KBexs12: u gave CITY BOY my number…? ring any bells?

JsGrl77: OOOOHHH. well, he asked! wat was i supposed to tell him? no?

KBexs12: YES!

JsGrl77: c'mon kate lol he's not that bad… or is he?

KBexs12: no. but he's still annoying

JsGrl77: all boys are. even Javi lol

KBexs12: *rolls eyes* javi's diff. he's not as annoying. and plus, we've known him since kindergarten. same with kev too.

JsGrl77: need i remind u that u don't really kno him that well? lol give him time. he'll grow on ya ;)

KBexs12: right…

JsGrl77: i'm serious! :P u'll see!

KBexs12: mhmm…

JsGrl77: lol just listen to my advice for once!

KBexs12: whatever :P i need to finish this paper for hackett's class… i'll cya tomorrow

JsGrl77: oh hackett *heart*

KBexs12: lmao xD

JsGrl77: bye :)

KBexs12: haha, bye

Kate signed off. She wondered if she should have told Lanie about what happened, but then again, she didn't need to know. At least, not right now.

...

**You know what to do :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Oh, Joy

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait... Had a family emergency, but that's all cleared up now :) Well, here ya go. Enjoy!**

* * *

Rick pulled his truck into the driveway of his new home.

He sighed as he took in the façade of the residence he now called home. _It's not like I had a choice_, he thought. He never wanted this. He never wanted to move. But, the image of a green-eyed girl named Kate made this transition a little easier.

Rick was born into an affluent family, even though it was very small. It consisted of his famous actress mother, Martha Rodgers, and his grandparents, who had been successful performers on Coney Island. Rick never knew his father—who probably didn't know he had a son. But, his mother had always told him that she loved his father more than she had ever loved anyone—even in the little time they had. It used to bother him, not knowing who his father was, but eventually, he had come to accept it. Now, he often dreamed of what his father _could _be rather than face the reality of what he probably was. _It was better this way_, he guessed. _He can be anything I dream him to be._

He wasn't without father figures though. He _did_ have a famous mother after all. But, many of the men she dated—at least those she's brought home on occasion to meet her son—were not worth emulating… far from it. Some were nice, but just not the father-figure type.

Rick lived a privileged life, but he wasn't always happy with it. Not having to worry about money meant being different. _Very different._ Some people knew he was the son of Martha Rodgers. Others knew he had money. Either way, he was treated differently than most kids his age. He made friends quickly wherever he went, but only a select few were the real deal. He played the role of a famous son and a far-from-intellectual, popular jock with ease because they expected it... but it wasn't really him. It was a sham. A mask that hid the real Rick Castle. And very few had ever got the chance to see it.

Entering, he walked through the front foyer of his home and into the kitchen in search of his mother. He found her making herself a drink, a Bloody Mary to be exact. She'd been gone for several days, making sure everything in New York was all set. And it didn't surprise him that she was slightly hung over at the moment.

"Well, hello mother," he greeted, as he nodded toward the drink. Opening the fridge, he took out an icepack and set it beside his mother. "Tough night?"

"Why, yes, Richard," she answered tiredly and sarcastically, reaching for the ice pack, hoping it would make her headache go away as she placed it lightly on her head. "It wasn't the night I pictured it would be."

Rick chuckled. "It never is."

Martha took a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen. She looked over her son carefully. "How was school?"

"Oh, um, it was good. Same old thing. Nothing special."

"Oh, really?" Martha knew something was up with her son. He had a slight twinkle in his eye and a slight smile to match it. Since she had told him about the move several weeks ago, her son had been sulking, complaining that this move was a waste of money and time. She was curious as to what the cause was to suddenly change her son's demeanor.

"Yep."

"Richard, are you lying to your mother?"

"No…"

"Richard," she warned.

"Mother," he warned back. "It's none of your business."

"I'm your mother. Of course it's my business. You are my son after all."

"There's nothing to tell."

"Richard, you have been whining ever since we came here. Why are you smiling like a little school boy with his first crush?"

"Mother, you're just seeing things," he said as he furrowed his brow, trying to cover up any hint of a smile with his frown.

"No, my dear, I am not." A smile spread across his mother's face as she came to a realization. "Who is she?"

He rolled his eyes. Changing the subject, Rick asked, "So, when are you going to leave for your audition in New York?"

Martha let the subject go for now. She would know in time. "Oh, in a week or so, I suppose. Needless to say, it might have been easier if we just stayed in New York City. But," she said. "It's better for us here. I didn't want you gallivanting all over the city! Who knows what trouble you could have gotten yourself into?" Rick chuckled. His mother was right, of course. But a small part of him still missed New York.

"What makes you think I won't get in trouble _here_?" He quirked his eyebrow playfully.

She rolled her eyes and slapped his arm as she moved toward the front foyer and up the stairs. "Now, be a good boy and do your homework."

Rick sighed. "Mother, I don't have…any," he said, his voice trailing off since his mother was out of range to hear him.

…

New week of opportunities. And no more boredom!

Next Monday morning, Rick happily walked out of the guidance office with his class schedule in hand. However, the morning bell hadn't rung yet. And as happy as he was to be in school _with_ classes, he had his moments. And at this moment, he was in search of a wavy-haired, green-eyed girl.

He spotted her down the hall, searching for something in her locker. Stealthily, he moved in, positioning himself behind her locker door like a ninja.

Kate sighed as she scanned the contents of her locker, wracking her morning muddled memory for the books she'd need for the first three periods. After a moment, she remembered and stuffed the necessary books into her shoulder sack. She slammed her locker shut.

"Hi!"

"Shi—! Castle, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry." His smirk took away any sincerity away from his apology. Kate glared at him. He continued, undeterred. "By the way, I finally have my class schedule! Wanna see?"

"No."

"C'mon, aren't you the tiniest bit interested?"

At that moment, the bell rang. "Not in the least. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have class to go to."

Kate walked away, hoping to leave Rick far behind. But unfortunately, he was keeping pace with her as he studied his schedule. _Why the hell is he following me_, she thought.

As they turned a corner, she stopped short, resulting in Rick nearly toppling her over. Spinning around, she asked, "_Why_ are you following me?"

"I'm, I'm not!"

"Then, what the hell are you doing behind me?"

"I'm… I was just… I'm going to class," he stammered. "P.E. to be exact."

"What?" Kate grabbed for Rick's schedule, but he was faster, raising it above his head and out of her reach. "Castle, give me your schedule!"

"Ah-ah. What's the magic word?"

"Castle!"

"Nope. Say the magic word."

"No!"

"Then, no schedule."

"Ugh, fine! Please…"

Rick handed her the sheet of paper. As Kate grabbed for his schedule and scanned it, Rick moved to look over her shoulder. Her eyes widen as she realized what his schedule was telling her. She closed her eyes and let out an exacerbated sigh, shoving the schedule back at Rick's chest. Startled, he held the paper against him as he watched Kate walk away frustrated.

Rick took a moment to recover, before going after Kate. Catching up and within hearing distance, he asked, "Hey, what was that all about?"

"What was what all about," she replied, playing dumb.

"Don't play dumb with me! I'm the definition of dumb. And you, my lady, are not dumb," he said matter-of-factly.

Kate bit her lip, thinking. Finally, she rolled her eyes. "I have three classes with you."

"That's awesome," he yelled excitedly. Then, cocking his head to the side, Rick asked, "Why aren't you excited?"

The innocent expression on his face almost melted her heart.

_Almost._

"Because, not only do I have to tutor you, I also have to see your face on a daily basis."

In mock offense, Rick replied, "That hurts!" Then, he smiled. "But I like seeing yours."

Kate's serious expression suddenly softened. But, before Rick could comment on it, she quickly picked up her pace.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

* * *

**Btw, I'll be starting college within the week... so I can't promise consistent updates. All I have is the hope that you guys will still follow this story through (however, long it takes lol). The next chapter will be dedicated to whoever can guess what they'll be playing in P.E. in the next chapter ;)**

**Well, you know what to do :) Ideas are always welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6: Let the Games Begin

Let The Games Begin

A wolf whistle could be heard as Kate exited the girls' locker room with Lanie. Kate looked around before spotting Rick with a group of his friends against the far wall of the gym. He was smiling his smug, yet charming, smile at her. She glared at him, rolling her eyes in the process.

Before she could ignore him and walk away to the bleachers, Rick called out, "Nice shorts, Kate!" Then, he winked at her.

"Watch out, Castle. Payback's always a bitch." Kate smiled deviously and walked away from an intrigued Richard Castle.

When Lanie started giggling, Kate nudged her in the ribs with her elbow, making Lanie grab at her side. But, she took no offense because she was still laughing.

"Ow! What was that for?" Lanie said between chuckles.

"You know what."

They sat on the bleachers overlooking the gym. Kate could still see Rick eyeing her from where he stood. He flashed his smile at her and waved.

"I'm so close to smacking him upside the head," she said.

"Seriously? The guy's got the hots for you, and yet you want to get rid of him? Girl, you're crazy!"

"Yeah, well, spend everyday being creeped up on and annoyed by him… Can't say I have any interest in someone like that."

"Uh-huh. Okay. Whatever you say."

"I do say."

"You really don't think he's good looking?"

"Lanie, of course he's good looking. What girl wouldn't think so? But that doesn't mean I like him!"

"Okay, okay. Just saying."

Just then, several girls walked out of the locker room. Rick reacted the same way as before, but this time the girls receiving his attention giggled as they walked away.

"See? Why would I like a guy like that?"

Lanie gave her a frustrated look. _She really can't see it, can she?_ "Okay, fine, but this conversation is far from over."

"Mhmm…"

A couple minutes later, the gym teacher came out and took attendance before telling them what they were going to do this period.

"Today, class, we're going to play a mean game of dodge ball," said Mr. Payton as he put his attendance book under his arm. The mention of dodge ball elicited cheers from the boys and groans from the girls. "Get hit by a ball, you're out. Catch a ball from the opposing team, the person who threw it is out. When you get out, sit down. Simple rules for a simple game. Got it?" He received several nods. "Alright, Rick, Kate, pick your teams."

"Watch out, Kate. You're toast!"

"Whatever you say, Castle," she said, with a glint in her eye.

With the teams picked and the sides chosen, the game began at the sound of the whistle. Balls began being thrown and evaded by students on both sides. Rick was one of the main aggressors on the opposing team, flinging the ball as hard as he could. He almost got Kate too, but missed by just a hair.

But Kate had a plan. Moving so she was behind most of the students on her team, she dragged Lanie with her.

"Okay, seriously. What's up with you?"

"I've got a plan," Kate whispered.

"Oh, do tell!" Kate whispered in her ear and Lanie's lips began to curve into a smile. "Well, he's gonna be in a world of hurt. And not just figuratively."

"Oh, I hope so. You ready?"

"Definitely."

Kate and Lanie made their way to the front, with balls in hand. Rick spotted them as he was about to throw his ball at another student, and told his team, "Lay off. Those two are mine!"

As balls flew around them, Rick was in a stand off with Kate and Lanie.

"C'mon girls, come and get me!" But little did Rick know that they were on the Varsity Softball team.

"Be careful what you wish for, Castle," said Kate.

"Oh really? Then, show me," he replied, as he let his ball loose at her. Just then, Lanie threw the ball Because he at his head. Because he was throwing his own ball, he almost couldn't dodge the ball.

"Ha! You missed!"

"Who said I was aiming at you head, City Boy?"

In the next moment, Kate flung her ball in his direction—below his waist. The next thing Rick knew, he was laying on the floor in pain.

"Told ya, Castle. Payback's a bitch." Kate smile before returning to the game with Lanie.

"Oh, I'll show you Kate Beckett. Just you wait," Rick muttered to himself. "No one messes with Richard Castle and gets away with it."

**A/N: I'm so sorry. I've been so busy with school… Life just has a habit of getting in the way doesn't it? Anyway, break starts mid-December so hopefully you guys can wait til them **

**Review!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Cute One

At lunch, the gang got together and told each other what happened. The boys laughed their pants off, and started to plan out how they would annoy Rick with their knowledge of his epic failure.

Afterward, they all headed to their next class—one of which they all had in common: Psychology. It was Kate and Lanie's favorite class of the day.

The boys walked in first.

"'Sup, Hackett," they greeted in unison.

"Afternoon, boys," he replied, looking away from his computer.

The girls walked in after them with smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Hackett," they greeted.

"Afternoon, Bexs, Lanie," he greeted again, as he readied his power point presentation on his computer.

The gang sat in the back corner of the classroom, furthest from the windows. As the girls walked to their desks, Kevin and Javi shook their heads.

Noticing them as she took her seat behind Kevin, Kate asked, "What are you guys shaking your heads for?"

"You guys are total creeps," Javi said as he looked between the two girls.

"Pfft, no we aren't," Lanie exclaimed soft enough to keep the conversation between them.

"Mhm. That's what they _all_ say," Kevin replied as he rolled he eyes.

"Oh, really?"

"Yep," they both replied.

Kevin dared to mock Kate. "It's always Hackett this, Hackett that. Oh, Hackett—"

Kate smacked his arm. "Oh, shut up, Kev!"

"Baby," Javi began as he directed his question to Lanie. She turned in her seat to face him. "If we were ten years older, you wouldn't leave me for him, would you?"

Lanie toyed with him. "Hmm… let me think…" Javi's face began to show signs sadness and disappointment. Lanie giggled softly and kissed him for reassurance. "No, baby, of course not."

Javi perked up, and leaned closer. "Good, because I would have fought him to get you back."

She mirrored his move. "My knight in shining armor, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lanie smiled before kissing him again.

"Hey, no canoodling in this classroom," Mr. Hackett yelled jokingly across the room. The rest of the students were giggling silently—just another day in Psychology. "Think you guys can wait until _after_ my class?"

The gang chuckled. "Whatever you say, Hackett," Javi answered.

"Good," he said. "Now, let's—"

There was a sudden knock at the door, and Mr. Hackett motioned for the person to enter. As they conversed, Kate took in a deep breathe and let it out slowly.

"Well, looks like we've got a new student. Rick Castle, am I right?"

"Yes, sir."

"My name's Mr. Hackett," he said, holding out his hand. Rick shook it firmly before scanning the room. "I'm your Psychology teacher for the year. So, take a seat wherever you like." Mr. Hackett looked around the room, and then focused in on the back row. "There's a seat open by Ms. Beckett in the back. You can sit next to her or any other seat of your choosing."

He muttered a 'Thanks' to Mr. Hackett. Rick knew exactly where to sit, much to Kate's displeasure. He walked down the third row and sat in the last seat… next to Kate.

"Yo, bro," Javi greeted, reaching across the row to give him a fist pound. "Name's Javi. That's Kev." Kevin waved. "And this here's my girl, Lanie." Kate and Lanie exchanged smiles at Javi's sweetness.

"Hey," Rick greeted back. "Didn't know all of you guys were in this class." Then, his eyes landed mischievously on Kate. "No short-shorts? I'm _very_ disappointed!"

"Hey, Hackett?" _Please be my savior_, Kate thought.

"Yeah, what's up?" Mr. Hackett looked up from his notes on his wooden podium.

"Does he _have_ to sit next me?"

Mr. Hackett's brow furrowed slightly as an amused expression appeared on his face. "It's his choice, not mine. Afraid of cooties there, Bexs?" he asked, a soft chuckle accompanying a smile.

"No, no… it's just…" Mr. Hackett waited for Kate's reply, but no matter how she worded it in her mind, it would have sounded so childish out loud. Kate sighed. "Never mind."

"Alright… Well, let's get started."

As Mr. Hackett began class, Rick whispered, "Meanie."

"Says you," Kate shot back.

Lanie shushed them. "Oh, just shut up. Are you guys an old married couple or somethin'?"

Kate rolled her eyes, still annoyed that Rick chose to sit next to her of all people. As she began taking down class notes, Rick took in glimpses of her from the corner of his eye.

He noticed that she furrowed her brow ever so slightly as she concentrated on Mr. Hackett's lecture. He even noticed the way she bit her bottom lip as she contemplated what was just said. He loved that she didn't fall for his charms like all the other girls—not yet that is. He could see that she was a fighter—and stubborn. But, she was beautiful. No, not beautiful. _Extraordinary._

"What are you doing?" Kate could feel his eyes on her.

"Watching," Rick whispered.

"Well, stop. It's creepy."

"I'm just admiring," he said as he let a smile grace his lips.

Having kept her ears on high alert for any conversation between Kate and Rick, Lanie smiled smugly at their exchange.

…

**A/N: Well, I'm off on Winter Break :) ****So, I will most likely be able to post regularly for the next month. After that, I probably won't be able to post until my Summer Break, which starts in May. Sorry about that…**

**This chapter was actually enjoyable to write because it was based off one of my favorite teachers in high school :)**

**And thank you for the reviews. It's much appreciated :)**


	8. Chapter 8: Too Close To Home

After Psychology, the students bid farewell to Mr. Hackett and went off to their own classes—except, of course, Rick and Kate, who had Creative Writing.

They kept silent as they made their way down the halls, but that didn't stop Rick from staring at her—especially since he was following behind her. _Hmm_, Rick thought with smug smirk. _She has a cute butt. Although, she'd probably kill me if I ever said that to her face…_

Kate could still feel his gaze on her as they took their seats.

"Just stop!"

"What?" He put on his puppy dog eyes as if he had done nothing wrong.

"Don't act all innocent," Kate glared. "You know what. Stop staring! Stop…" Still wearing his puppy dog eyes, he tilted his head slightly to the side as if she were crazy. "_Argh_!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Kate," he replied with a smirk, finally facing the front of the room.

"I'm sure you don't," she muttered sarcastically to herself.

By the end of class, Rick had fallen into a light doze. Upon finding him asleep, Kate reached across the aisle and kicked him in the shin.

"Ow!"

"Mr. Castle? Is something wrong," asked Mr. Matthews, as he paused in his writing on the chalkboard.

Rick rubbed his shin quickly, trying to alleviate some of the pain. It took him a moment to find any semblance of words to reply with. "Mm, no, no. Just accidently hit my shin against the desk," he answered weakly. And with that, Mr. Matthews, continued his lecture.

Rick directed his fiery blue gaze at Kate, who pretended to be paying attention to the class. "What the hell was that for? That hurt!"

"You were sleeping. And it was payback."

"For what?" He couldn't, for the life of him, think of anything that he'd done since gym.

"Staring."

_Oh… I have two paybacks now_, he thought mischievously.

"That is so not fair!" Kate flashed a devilish smile before bringing her attention back to the front.

"So, before I let you guys go," began Mr. Matthews. "I want a poem by tomorrow. No haikus or any other type of short poem we've learned thus far, please." As the bell rang, students gathered their things, and made their way to the door. "You need to think and be creative. Have some freedom," Mr. Matthews finished loudly over the chatter.

Kate hurried to her locker. Just as she was about to open it, she noticed Rick was leaning against the lockers beside hers.

"Castle, what do you want?"

"I forgive you."

"For what?"

"For kicking me."

"Oh, okay," Kate replied slowly, as she furrowed her brow in confusion. She stuffed her books into her locker more forcefully than she needed to.

"And, I wanted to offer you a ride again."

Kate rolled her eyes. "No, I'm fine, Castle. Thanks."

"Kate, you're gonna be tutoring me all year," Rick explained. "The least I can do is drive you home once in a while." Kate looked over at him and saw that he had unleashed his puppy-dog eyes again. She arched an eyebrow. Seeing that she wasn't giving in, Rick pulled out all the stops. He brought his hands up to his chest and curved them like a dog begging for a treat, tilting his head to the side. "Please?"

She shook her head. "You really don't give up you, do you?"

"No," Rick said, flashing a huge grin.

Kate sighed. _I am so gonna pay for this eventually. _"Alright, you win."

…

They walked to his truck in silence. Although they didn't know each other well, the silence wasn't as uncomfortable as Kate would have believed.

In her own little world, she wished she could just let go and let herself like Castle. She wished she wasn't so guarded with her heart. Wished she had never met Will.

"Kate?"

Rick's inquiry brought her out of her reverie. "Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say?"

He gave her a small smile. "I said, "Tell me more about yourself.""

Kate shrugged. "What's there to tell?"

"Playing hard to get, huh?" Rick chuckled softly.

"Something like that." _Woah, where did that come from_, Kate thought.

Reaching his truck, just as Kate was about to open the passenger door, Rick did it for her. Kate muttered a shy "Thanks" before slipping in. He closed the door, then rounded to the driver's side and got in.

"Okay, I'll tell you what," he began as he put the truck in drive. "Let's play a game then. I'll tell you a fact about myself, and then you do the same. Sound fair?"

"I guess."

"Alright… I love to write." That elicited a scoff from Kate. "I'm serious! Writing is a passionate hobby of mine."

"Right…"

"Fine. Don't believe me? Remember that poem we have to write for Mr. Matthews?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Bet I can make you tear up with my poem," he said with a smirk.

"Fat chance of that. You're on!"

"And if I win, we're not studying at the town library. We're studying at _my_ house."

Kate glared at him.

"You chicken," Rick goaded.

"Fine. Deal. But, if I win, you have to stop chauffeuring me around."

"Deal," Rick said calmly. "So, I told you mine. Now, tell me yours."

What should she tell him? That she was being raised by a single father because her mom passed away two years ago? That her heart was shattered to pieces last year because of some boy?

"Uhm, I hate Halloween," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"What? You do not!"

"I do."

"That's not normal, you're still a kid! I still love it," he said with a smile.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Of course, you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kate kept silent, giving him a smug look. "Fine, don't talk. Hmm, I like hockey and baseball."

"You gonna try out when hockey season starts?"

"I sure am. Love being on skates. It's one of the best things about the winter season."

"What position?"

"Goalie." Kate furrowed her brow at that. Rick noticed her puzzled expression. "What?"

"I don't know. You just don't look like the goalie type."

"Well, it's a tough position, but somebody has to do it. Plus, the gear protects my gorgeous face from pucks and fists." Kate rolled her eyes as Rick gave her a silly smile. Although, she had to admit, his face was pretty cute. But no way was she telling him that. _Ever_.

"What about baseball?"

"Catcher."

Kate chuckled. "I'm sensing a trend here."

"Indeed you are. But, I pitch sometimes too. Okay, your turn, Halloween-hater."

"Fine. I don't trust people easily."

"That's safe to assume. Normally, it's easy for me to get to know a person right off the bat. But you," he said, directing his gaze at her. "You're one tough little cookie."

"Well, it's not like I've always been this way."

"How so?"

"I, uh—" Kate was saved from continuing the conversation as Rick pulled up to her house. "I've gotta go. Thanks for the ride."

Sensing her uneasiness, he let her drop the subject. _All in due time_, he thought. "Until tomorrow, Kate."

"You can't just say bye?" She asked quizzically.

"I have a passion for writing, remember? Until tomorrow is more… hopeful," he explained, a wistful smile appearing on his face.

"Well, I don't. Bye, Castle."

When Kate was safely in the house, Rick drove away, more intrigued than ever.

…

That night, Rick went on to write his poem for Creative Writing. He was actually at a loss as what to write. _What's gonna make her cry?_

In the end, he decided to write from the heart. It was the best way he knew how.

…

The next morning, Kate opened her locker to find a folded-up piece of paper. She wondered who could have put that there. Intrigued, she opened it.

It read:

_**I Miss You**_

**By: Richard Castle**

**I miss you.  
****I hope you miss me.**

**I've never met you.  
****And you've never met me.  
****A son that doesn't know you,  
****A father—I guess—  
****That wasn't meant to be.**

**I may not know  
****The hero of my dreams,  
****But I bet you'd be proud  
****To have a son like me.**

**I miss you.  
****And I hope you miss me.**

**The heavy words  
****In the dawn of grief  
****The prayers unanswered  
****The helpless pleas**

**The need to cry  
****So tempting and strong  
****The tears for a loved one  
****Long since gone**

**Mommy, Daddy,  
****And everybody in between,  
****I miss you.  
****I hope you miss me.**

**Three little words that mean so much  
****To people just like you and me.  
****I'll be there for you  
****And you'll be there for me  
****Because sometimes in this world  
****Three words are all you need.**

**I love you.  
****I miss you.  
****I hope you miss me.**

"So… I guess I win?"

Kate spun around at the voice behind her. Rick could see the tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Taking a calming breathe, Kate replied softly, "Yeah, Castle. You win." And with that, she gently handed the paper back to him, and walked away. _I need to find, Lanie._

Rick watched her sadly, wondering if winning such a bet was worth seeing her cry.

…

**A/N: Well, that chapter was completely out of the blue… It turned out okay, though.**

**Writing that poem was a strain on the brain, but it turned out sad, which is good in this case. Maybe not sad enough though? Anyone see the connections?**

**Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed it! :) **


	9. Chapter 9: Forgiveness

Kate gave Rick the cold shoulder the rest of the day, moving from class to class without so much as a word to each other. He didn't try to initiate any conversation. Rick knew when to keep his mouth shut.

However, in the mist of the silence, Rick wondered what had emotionally set her off. Sure, his poem, but there was something more to it. He knew his poem was sad, but not that sad—not the utter sadness he saw in her eyes. Something happened to her that he didn't know about—that most people didn't know or talk about. Was it something tragic? Something recent? Or both? In the end, he was no closer to an answer… just theories.

But little did he know how close to the truth he was.

After school, against his impulses, Rick decided not to offer Kate a ride home. He was going to give her some space. _Maybe I can try tomorrow_, he thought as he reached his locker. Suddenly, his head started hurting.

"Ow," he yelled, swirling around at the perpetrator. "Lanie? What was that for?"

"For being stupid," she replied coolly, "and for being an idiot."

"What's the difference?" Rick asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Lanie smacked him upside the head again. "Ow! Apples, apples!"

"And that was for being a smartass, smartass."

"Okay, now before you slap me again," Rick replied, ready to shield himself from another assault. "What exactly did I do?"

"Kate came to me crying this morning! And, you had something to do with it. What the hell did you do?"

"I didn't—"

"Uh-huh, of course you didn't. Not intentionally anyway."

"All I did was make a bet with her," he said innocently. "I bet her that I could make her tear up—not cry, mind you—when she read my poem."

"You expect me to believe that?" Lanie replied skeptically.

"Well, yeah. We agreed that if I won, we'd study at my house instead of at the library. If she won, I wasn't gonna give her a ride home anymore."

"You've been giving her a ride home?" Lanie chuckled. "Well, don't tell that to Javi."

"Why's that?"

"Because, he's like a big brother to her," she explained. "Now, let me see that poem you wrote that made my girl cry her eyes out."

Rick shuffled through his backpack before finding it stuffed between two books. He straightened it out before handing it to Lanie. Eyeing it curiously, she gingerly took the piece of paper from him.

"She gave me back the copy I stuffed in her locker this morning. I had another copy that I passed in," he explained. "But, yeah, sorry about—"

"Castle, it's fine," Lanie replied before drawing her attention to the written text on the sheet of paper. As moments passed, Rick saw her brow furrow gradually as she read.

"Castle, where did all this come from," Lanie finally asked solemnly.

"From the heart I guess," he said, with a shrug. "The first part was about how I've never met my dad. Then, it just grew from there. Why?"

"Well, the second part… I think I know why Kate came crying to me this morning," she said hesitantly.

Trying to recall the second part of his poem, Rick came to the realization that someone important to Kate must have passed away. Concerned, he asked, "What happened?"

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but… Kate's mother was killed in a car crash two years ago when a drunk driver passed over the yellow line."

At that moment, the words of his poem reverberated through his mind:

**The heavy words  
In the dawn of grief  
The prayers unanswered  
The helpless pleas**

**The need to cry  
So tempting and strong  
The tears for a loved one  
Long since gone**

**Mommy, Daddy,  
And everybody in between,  
I miss you.  
I hope you miss me.**

"Since then, she's had a rough time adjusting," continued Lanie.

"What do you mean by "adjusting"," asked Rick, sensing there was more to this story.

"Well, Kate's become more closed off since her mother's death. But last year, when she was finally herself again, she let some jackass get too close. When he broke her heart, she closed herself off again." Lanie paused. "Even though she says she's okay, she really isn't. We all know she's lying, but we just can't seem to break through."

"Maybe I can break through to her," he said hopefully.

"You can try, but don't get your hopes up," Lanie replied, gently patting him on the arm. "And please don't tell her I told you, either."

Rick gave her a sad smile. "Your secret's safe with me." And with that, Lanie left him to wonder how on earth he was going to apologize to Kate.

…

Kate went home to find her dad home, sitting on the living room couch reading a newspaper. She hoped he hadn't heard her come in. Having had the day she just experienced, she really didn't want to have a conversation with her dad. She knew her dad would see right through her.

But today, luck wasn't on her side.

"Katie? Is that you?" he called from the living room.

"Uh, yeah, Dad. It's me," she said hesitantly. Kate walked slowly into the living room to greet him.

Upon seeing her sad eyes, he became concerned. "Katie, what's wrong?"

Kate's eyes welled up again. She promised herself she wouldn't cry anymore. Her dad scooted over and motioned for Kate to sit next to him. "Come here, baby," he said softly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Kate let her head rest on her dad's shoulder and curled into him.

"Katie, you can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?" Kate nodded, as several tears slipped from the corner of her eyes. "Tell me, what's got you so upset, hmm?"

"I miss her," Kate finally whimpered, as she let the welled up tears fall.

Her dad pulled her closer and wrapped her in a hug. "I know, baby. I miss her too," he whispered into her hair. "I miss her too."

…

It was the weekend now, and Rick still hadn't found a way to apologize to Kate. For the remainder of the week, he had kept his distance, unsure of where he stood with her. Unbeknownst to him, she really appreciated it and found it sort of sweet. But, now, as he paced his room on a Sunday night, he honestly wondered what the heck he should do.

Staring at his phone, he pulled up her number. _C'mon, big guy, just say you're sorry. It's not gonna hurt ya_, said his conscience. Finally, finding the courage, Rick texted her.

Kate was about to hit the sack, when her phone went off. Thinking it was Lanie, she opened the text message.

_RC: I'm sorry. :( _

Kate smiled softly. _At least he's apologizing_, she thought. She wasn't going to reply back at first because she was still somewhat mad at him. But then again, he was sweet enough to at least give an effort to make things right.

Waiting for a reply, Rick sat his desk. After five minutes, he was about to give up on her, when his iPhone vibrated.

_KB: its ok…_

Well, at least she wasn't ignoring him like he had thought.

_RC: I didn't know. :(_

Unlike her previous text, she replied within seconds.

_KB: i kno_

Gaining a little hopeful, Rick texted back.

_RC: Am I forgiven?_

That made Kate chuckle a little.

He waited for what seemed like minutes, when in reality it was only a few seconds.

_KB: ya, ur forgiven._

It felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He could only smile in relief.

_RC: :)_

_Oh, Castle_, she thought as she shook her head. _Wait, 'he didn't know'…what?_ She sighed. _He _knows_._

_KB: who told u?_

_Crap_, he thought, as he tried to figure out how he had tipped her off.

_RC: I promised I wouldn't tell._

Kate let out a heavy sigh.

_KB: Castle, who told u?_

_RC: … Lanie. :/_

Kate could only shake her head.

_KB: 'course she would lol_

_RC: You're not going to tell her, are you?_

Rick was beginning to worry he was going to get another slap to the head tomorrow morning.

_KB: No… ur secret is safe with me ;)_

_RC: Phew, good! :)_

_KB: lol she slapped u didn't she?_

_RC: Yes! :( _

_KB: haha!_

_RC: You're mean! :P … So we're okay?_

_KB: Ya, we're ok :)_

_RC: I'll see tomorrow, then?_

_KB: bright and early :)_

_RC: Until tomorrow, tutor ;)_

_KB: Night, Castle :P_

…

**A/N: This took a little longer than expected… oops… I think all the exhaustion from final exams finally took their toll the past couple of days.**

**Hope you enjoyed it :)**


	10. Chapter 10: Questions Answered

"C'mon, let's go already!"

Kate deliberately slowed down her movements as she heard Rick complain. She gave him a smug smirk.

"Slow down, Mr. McWhiney. Why are you in such a hurry? You got your way, didn't you?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"To the first question, just because. To the second question," he continued, leaning closer into Kate's personal space. "I did," he replied softly.

He was so close that Kate could feel the heat coming off of him. Her heart began to beat faster as her stomach fluttered with butterflies.

_What the hell is wrong with me? I don't even like him_, she thought. Mentally shaking herself, she cleared her throat before taking a step back. "Well, 'just because' is not a justifiable answer," Kate answered, as she tucked more books away into her locker.

"Ugh, whatever, slowpoke. Just hurry up!" She chuckled.

Placing the last of her books into her bag, Kate slammed her locker closed, contemplating whether or not she should open it back up just to hear another childish whine from Rick. _I'm not that cruel_, she laughed silently.

"You done now?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

Kate nodded, smiling at his eagerness.

"Well, then let's go," he exclaimed excitedly as he pulled her down the hallway.

…

"Just to warn you, I don't usually bring people home," Rick said, as he turned a corner. He glanced over to see a suspicious expression directed at him. "I'm serious," he replied, trying to sound as honest as possible. Rick ended up sounding as if he had been accused of a crime he _did_ commit.

Kate smiled, then teased, "Why, Castle, are you hiding something criminal I should know about?"

"No! It's just," he replied, hesitating.

"Castle," Kate prompted.

"I just… it's complicated," Rick answered vaguely. In an attempt to change the subject, he reached for the radio and turned up the volume. As the station began another song, a soft acoustic country twang began to fill the truck.

Kate tried but failed to hide the smile that crept onto her face. "Never figured you for a country music fan, Castle."

"I'm not." His words were met with a raised brow. "Well, not really."

Kate smirked, before coughing, "Liar."

"Whatcha say?"

"Nothing," Kate replied innocently.

A few minutes later, Rick pulled into his driveway. As Kate gazed out of the window, she was shocked by the edifice that stood in front of her.

"Castle, what the—"

"Yeah, about that," he said sheepishly he drove the car down the pathway.

"Castle, your house is huge," Kate exclaimed. "Are you rich or something?"

"Uhm, not directly, no," he said nervously as he turned off the engine and took the keys out of the ignition.

"What's that supposed to mean," she asked incredulously, still awestruck.

"Well, do you know an actress by the name of say…Martha Rodgers?"

"Yeah, but—" Then, Rick watched a wave of realization washed over her features and her green eyes widened. "Wait, she's not—" He nodded in affirmation. "You're not—" He nodded again.

"Yeah, I'm her son," he confirmed.

"Why didn't you tell me," she asked, practically yelling at him.

"Well, it's not something I usually tell people. I like to keep it on the down low." He paused. Looking over at Kate, he continued, "I just want to be 'normal'. But once people know who my mother is, they start treating me differently."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're telling me that you never use your status to your advantage?"

"Well, I won't say that," he replied with a soft chuckle. "But, I try to keep it to a minimum." Kate's only reply was a small, appreciative smile. "Can I trust you with my secret?"

"Your secret is safe with me," she replied. And to Rick's surprise, he was certain she wouldn't tell a soul. It wasn't because her eyes glittered innocently, devoid of mischief and insincerity. And it wasn't because he liked her. Okay, maybe a little. But, something about her made him feel at ease. The connection of trust they shared began to run far deeper that either had ever imagined it would. "But everyone's going to know eventually," Kate continued.

"I know," he sighed. "But, I just want to be 'normal' until then." Rick turned in his seat to face her, resting his arm against the steering wheel.

As she met his gaze, she could see the wheels turning in his sapphire depths. _What the hell is he up to?_ He leaned forward, and Kate leaned back, casting a scared and puzzling look in his direction.

Rick smirked, before opening the car door and running out. "Last one to the door's a rotten egg!"

…

"What's the tangent of 45 degrees?"

"Uh… I don't know," replied Rick as he ran a hand through his already boyishly disheveled hair. _He looks adorable like that_, she thought, as his facial expressions revealed his disgust for the subject. Realizing what she just thought, Kate mentally shook herself out of it. "This stuff ain't easy, you know," he pointed out.

"Well, that's obvious," she replied, rolling her eyes. "But, we're not gonna get anywhere if you don't try."

"I am too trying!" He furrowed his brow and pouted readily at the accusation.

"C'mon, get going on those problems." Kate passed his notebook back to him, pointing to his open textbook.

"You're gonna help me right?"

"You can ask for help." Rick smiled. He was about to ask her what the answer to the next question was until Kate clarified herself. "But, only if you truly aren't able to figure it out," she said, pointing a finger at him. "Got it?"

"Gotcha." Slightly disappointed that he actually had to do the work, he begrudgingly put pencil to paper.

Thirty minutes later, with a bright smile on his face, Rick exclaimed, "Finished!"

Kate looked up from her textbook, puzzled by Rick's child-like tendencies. Although, she had to admit, it was quite amusing at times.

Rick proudly handed her his notebook, and Kate skeptically took it. After taking a couple of minutes of checking his answers, she was pleasantly surprised.

"Wow, you got them all right. Maybe I am doing my job," she said with a smirk.

"See? I can be smart if I tried!"

Kate furrowed her brow. "You said you were trying before."

He leaned forward slightly; a smug expression crossed his face. "I lied."

"Figures."

…

Walking down the empty hallway, Rick made a beeline to Kate's locker. At 6:50 am—a time when no one in their right mind would want to be in school—she was sitting at her locker studying. Rick shook his head as he made his way toward her.

Taking the coffees that had kept his hands occupied, he extended one to her. "Coffee?"

Startled, Kate whispered loudly, "What are you doing here?" Having been listening to her iPod, she hadn't heard him coming.

"Well, good morning to you, too," he replied sarcastically, still holding out the hot beverage.

"What's that?"

"Coffee—caramel, cream, and extra sugar." Kate looked at him as if he had gone insane. "What?"

She gently took the hot coffee from him. "You know how I like my coffee. I call that creepy, Castle. Should I be worried," Kate asked before gingerly taking a sip. The welcome caffeine was a blessing to her tired mind as she felt the buzz of revived energy run through her body.

"That I'm a stalker and might try to kill you in your sleep," Rick volunteered, eliciting a semi-amused look from Kate. Rick smiled, before clarifying. "Texted Lanie." _Should have known_, she thought. "So, whatcha doing," he asked.

"Studying," she replied, returning to the notes in her lap.

"For what?" Rick leaned back against the locker beside her and slid his way down to the floor.

"You're kidding right?"

"Uh, no."

"You forgot about our Psych test?"

"Oh, that's_ today_?"

"Well, you're definitely screwed," she replied, chuckling.

"That's not funny." Kate watched him twist up his face in thought, before finding a solution to his problem. "I'll just… BS my way through it." Okay, maybe _not_ a solution.

Kate shook her head in disapproval. "Knowing Hackett's tests, you're not gonna be able to."

"Whatever," he said, as he waved it off. Then, he got an idea. "Wanna make a bet?"

"Now what," she complained, as she was again distracted from her notes.

"Let's say, if I pass the test, you have to come to my Halloween party next weekend," he said happily.

Kate glared at him, but conceded once she caught the twinkle of a challenge in his bright blue eyes. "Instead of passing, make it at least an 85, and you got yourself a deal."

"Okie dokie, artichokie."

"You are such a child."

…

"All right, settle down, guys. I have a lot of papers to pass back to you before the bell," announced Mr. Hackett.

Rick leaned over his desk and whispered to Kate, "Here's the moment of truth." She sat there smugly, knowing full well that Rick wouldn't be able to get an 85.

Mr. Hackett weaved in and out of the rows passing back papers and tests to their respective student. He moved toward the back of the room, and handed Kate her test. "Kate, as always," he said, indicating he appreciated her continuing effort. Javi and Kevin rolled their eyes as Lanie tried to hide a smile. "Lanie, you too."

He passed the boys their tests as well, and upon seeing their grade, Javi and Kevin sighed heavily, neither particularly happy with the end result. Lanie tried to comfort her boyfriend. "You'll do better next time, baby."

"Yeah."

"Oh, c'mon, don't be like that. Cheer up!"

"Well, actually… there's one thing that might cheer me up."

"Name it," Lanie replied, as a smile appeared on her face.

Kate and Kevin looked at each other and just shook their heads. Leaving the happy couple to their love talk, Kate turned her attention back to Rick, who was writing in his notebook.

"What are you writing?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just some random stuff."

Chuckling, she replied, "Sounds like a diary to me, Castle."

"You're just jealous because I'm gonna win this bet!"

"Pfft, as if!"

At that moment, Mr. Hackett came up to Rick and handed him back his test, face down. "Not bad, Castle," he said, walking away to the next student.

_Not bad? _That made Kate's mind reel. _Crap! He couldn't have gotten at least an 85!_

She watched Rick turn the test over, scan the page, and flip through it. "What did you get," she asked hesitantly.

Instead of replying, Rick handed it to her. He received an 84.

_84? 84. 84!_ Kate was ecstatic. "Haha, I win!"

"You sure about that," came the cryptic reply.

That got her attention. Kate looked up, puzzled. "You got an 84. There's no way around it. Are you gonna 'magically' change it into an 85 or something," she sarcastically replied.

"Well, no. But Hackett might."

Kate furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about? Have you gone insane? He would never do that."

"He will when he realizes he incorrectly marked my test," he replied as a smug smirk emerged.

_No, no, no, no, no!_

"But, how-" _Shit._

Suddenly, the bell rang.

"See you at the party, Kate," he said, giving her a wink before heading out of the classroom.

"Man," Javi drawled out. "Never thought I'd see you actually lose a bet." Lanie leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Seriously?" Lanie nodded. "You lost another bet with him, and you didn't tell me? You've definitely lost your touch, Katie," joked Javi.

"Shut up, Esposito. Or I'll break both your legs."

…

**A/N: My deepest apologies, really. Long time since I updated. Anyway, I've been writing this chapter here and there in between—and occasionally during :P —classes. Even though life took over, I haven't forgotten about this story. Far from it! I just hope you guys will bear with me **

**And, belated thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story ****You guys make my day!**

**Wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and a belated Happy New Year! Hope you guys had fun during the holidays!**

**Until next time… ;)**


	11. Chapter 11: Attendance Denied

Mr. Hackett had indeed incorrectly marked Rick's test, much to Kate's chagrin. Things just weren't going her way.

As the party drew near, Rick continued to pester Kate about keeping the bet, making certain she would attend _and_ wear a costume. He would have made her come, even if he hadn't won the bet in the first place.

By the end of the week, Rick and Kate found themselves at her locker—which had oddly become a daily routine for the two of them. Kate let out an exacerbated sigh as Rick proceeded to discuss the party for the umpteenth time.

"So, whatcha gonna wear to the party," he asked excitedly, his eyes shining with child-like innocence. Kate marveled at the fact that a six foot tall eighteen year-old guy could still be enamored with costumes and fantasy. While pondering this thought, she threw her textbooks into her locker with probably more force than necessary as Rick rambled on. "Snow White? Belle?" Then, Rick leaned more heavily against the locker door, decreasing the space between them. "A sexy nurse? Oh, wait, I know, I know! A sexy cop!" Kate looked up to see a suggestively raised eyebrow and a smirk. "I'd love to see you arrest me for indecent exposure," he murmured.

Kate furrowed her brows together. "How did your mind go from fairytale princesses to the gutter in less than two seconds?"

He shrugged. "I'm a guy. What do you expect?" Kate rolled her eyes, and returned her attention to her back pack. Until Rick spoke again that is. "So?"

"Castle, I am _not_ going to wear _anything_." Rick's eyes widened before his lips turned into a smirk and his eyes glistened with mischief. Kate rolled her eyes as she saw his expression, knowing exactly where his mind had gone. "As in no costume," she clarified. Kate watched as his expression dropped into disappointment. Amused, Kate continued, "It's a silly holiday anyway. I hate Halloween, remember?"

"Ah, right, so you do," he replied. "I'll just have to fix that."

"Like that will ever happen."

"You're no fun," he replied, as his brow furrowed.

"Of course not," she said sarcastically, chuckling. "And, I thought you didn't want people to know who you were. Having a party at your house is gonna make people ask questions," she pointed out.

"Whoever said it was at my house?"

"Where else would you have a party?"

"At a small function hall downtown. Big enough to have a fun Halloween party and small enough that people won't ask how I could afford it," he said proudly.

"Well, aren't you smart."

"Do I hear a compliment?"

A small smile crept onto her lips as she rolled her eyes. "So, who did you invite?"

He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair and rubbed the nape of his neck. _He looks cute like that_, she thought as she hid a smirk. "Oh, just about everyone I guess. I made an event on Facebook, but I haven't checked who'd be attending."

"Ugh, now I _really_ don't want to go," she replied, a frown now forming.

"And you wouldn't want to go because?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing is something."

"That makes no sense whatsoever."

"Yes, it does!"

Suddenly, Rick's appendages were yanked away from him. He looked and saw that Gina and Meredith had draped themselves on his arms. Although not too happy that they interrupted his conversation with Kate, he politely gave them a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Kate, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at their antics. She promised herself she would never be one of _those_ girls that fawned over Richard Castle like a gold digger. _Never_. But looking at the girls in front of her, she felt inferior, small. Keeping her eyes downcast, Kate wondered what it would be like if she was as popular as the bimbos draped on Rick's arms. She wished she could just let go and let her feelings be. To have the knowledge that she was the most desired girl in school. If only. Then, maybe she would be the one flirting with him. _Maybe, Lanie's right_, she thought. _Maybe he does like me. Maybe… just maybe, I… No. I can't have feelings for him. He'll just use me and go on to the next girl._

Gathering a little composure, Rick greeted them. "Well, hey, girls. What's up?"

Gina flashed Kate a menacing stare before she batted her eyelashes at him. "We were just gonna tell you that we're coming for your Halloween party!" Meredith nodded in agreement.

He tried to sound as excited as he could. "Oh, that's great. What are you guys gonna wear?"

"We don't know yet. But something sexy of course," Meredith purred in his ear, which caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up on end. As much as he liked that they were going to wear something provocative to the party, he wasn't particularly excited. He glanced up at Kate, seeing her eyes were downcast. A concerned expression flashed briefly across his face before he again assumed the role of excited host. Rick was relieved when they freed his arms from their possessive hold.

"Bye, Ricky," they said as they walked away giggling like wild hyenas.

"Bye, girls." Rick let out a heavy sigh of relief before directing his full attention back at Kate, who was now looking at him with disapproval.

"What?"

She looked down the hallway at their retreating forms. "The she-devils."

"Who, them?" he asked, confused.

Kate nodded.

"Oh, c'mon, they're nice," he said. _Actually, they're like vultures waiting to feast on the newest arrival of dead meat—in other words… me_, he thought to himself.

She began shoving her books into her locker so hard that Rick felt bad for the poor, inanimate storage compartment. "Pfft, to _you_ maybe! But, to everyone else—"

"You just don't know them like I do," he said, cutting her off. _Why was he defending them anyway_, he thought. _It wasn't as if he liked them particularly either…_

"Of course not," she replied sarcastically. "And I hope I never do." With that, Kate closed her locker and walked away, leaving Rick utterly confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He yelled after her, but his efforts were futile.

…

The rest of the gang met at lunch. But the only thing her friends wanted to discuss was the Halloween party. Kate feigned interest, absently moving her food around with her fork.

"Hey, Kate, you goin' to Castle's party this weekend," asked Javi, trying to get her attention.

"Hmm? Oh, uh, no."

"But, didn't you lose a bet," he asked again.

"So?" she replied, annoyed by their questioning.

"So… you've gotta go! It's the code." Javi crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, the code," repeated Kevin, as he mimicked his friend's pose.

Kate rolled her eyes at the both of them. "There is no code. And even if there were, I still wouldn't go."

"C'mon, what's stoppin' ya?"

"Nothing. I just don't want to dress up and go to a Halloween party."

"C'mon, girl, it'll be fun," exclaimed Lanie as she gave her best smile and nudged Kate in the ribs.

"Fun my ass," retorted Kate.

"Fine," Lanie replied. "But, Castle's gonna be disappointed that you're not coming though."

"Sure, he will," Kate said sarcastically.

Lanie gave her one of her looks and thought, _You have no idea, girl_.

…

Rick scanned the crowd of people. It seemed everyone was having a blast, which was great. But, he was still waiting. Then, he spotted the gang in the corner of the function hall, laughing at a joke Javi told.

"Hey, guys" Rick greeted as he walked up to him. "Where's Kate?"

"Well, you see," Ryan began.

"She's not coming," finished Javi.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know," said Kevin.

"It's probably because you invited _everyone_," Lanie replied.

"Including the bitches from hell," Javi added.

"Wait. Who?"

"You know… Meredith… Gina… all those people," said Lanie.

"How would that be relevant?"

"Castle, you don't understand. Kate has a history with them. Trust me, it's better off that she's not here to kick some ass," she replied, placing a comforting hand on Rick's arm.

"Actually, that would be quite entertaining," interjected her boyfriend.

"Javi…"

"Well, sorry, baby. But it would be nice to have someone put them in their place once in a while."

"I second that," Ryan replied.

Lanie gave them both a glare.

"What exactly happened between them anyway?" asked Rick, pulling Lanie's attention away from the boys.

"I can't tell you," she answered. "This is something she'll have to tell you on her own time."

"Don't worry about her," Javi said.

"Yeah, it's a great party. Kate doesn't know what she's missing," added Ryan.

Rick's shoulders fell, defeated. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

…

Halfway through the party, Lanie finally succumbed. She texted Kate.

L: girl, u have some explaining to do

K: about wat?

L: u know wat! y aren't u here?

K: cuz I didn't want to go

L: that's no excuse

K: actually, it technically is

L: w/e :P … anyway, writer boy asked about u

K: when did u start calling him writer boy?

L: don't try to change the subject. he wanted u to be here!

K: so?

L: so? he's moping around at his own party!

K: ya… ur point is?

L: hello! he's miserable cuz ur not here.

K: haha, that's funny :P

L: u r so stubborn! do u want me to spell it out?

K: no, but u will anyway

L: HE. LIKES. YOU. D:

K: no, he does not

L: grr. yes, he does!

K: no, he does not. he likes the popular bimbos

L: -_- sure, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like u

K: see? point made

L: no, not point made! he's like a lost puppy with his tail between his legs because ur not here

K: i'm sure… lol

L: not kidding here

K: *sigh* can we talk about this later? I have a report to finish

L: sure u do…

K: i do

L: mhmm, i'll let it go for now. but this conversation is so not over!

K – of course it's not :P

…

Sitting quietly in her room, Kate continued to focus on her homework rather than the party she was missing. Out of the blue, she got another text. _Oh, god. Not again_, she thought. She let out a heavy sigh when she saw the name.

RC: You're not here. :(

KB: nope.

RC: Why?

KB: because, I didn't want to go.

RC: But you lost our bet. You have to be here! :(

KB: no, I don't.

RC: Yes, you do!

KB: no, I don't!

RC: Yes, you do!

KB: w/e.

Arguing with him was pointless. She thought that text would have ended their conversation, but a minute later, she got another message from him.

RC: I miss you :(

_Cute_, she thought. But she couldn't let him know that.

KB: right…

RC: It's true!

KB: mhm..

RC: Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a thousand needles in my eye. x_O

She actually chuckled a little at his antics. She sighed.

KB: sure. must be missing me when the she-devils are drooling all over you.

RC: They're just good friends!

KB: they are obsessed with you!

RC: So, what if they are? You jealous?

_Oh, crap_, she thought.

KB: hell no.

RC: You're lying.

KB: nope.

RC: Yes.

KB: no.

RC: Yes!

KB: NO!

Rick felt a little disappointed. He typed out, "Well, I would be if the roles were reversed", but deleted it. _Too revealing_, he thought sadly.

RC: I really wish you were here :/

KB: sorry, castle.

RC: Make it up to me? *heart*

_Did he just send me a heart?_ She shook that thought away. _This is _Castle_ we're talking about._

KB: we'll see.

RC: :)

KB: have fun, castle. night.

RC: I would if you were here! Until tomorrow ;)

**A/N: Okay, yell at me. I deserve it -_-**


	12. Chapter 12: Stick and Stones

Early Monday morning, Rick walked down the empty hallway toward Kate with two coffees in hand. Listening to her iPod as she engrossed herself in her textbook, she didn't notice his presence until he waved the offered beverage in her field of vision.

The corners of her lips curled into a smile. Looking up, she found his blue eyes smiling right back at her. Biting her bottom lip, she reached for the coffee in his hand, warm and welcoming as the morning cobwebs still lingered from her sleep. But, as she did so, their fingers lightly brushed against each others, igniting a spark. Their eyes met briefly, but as usual, they ignored what had happened and slipped into normalcy.

Taking a sip of his own coffee, he watched as she went back to studying. He noticed the cute little furrow of her brow, which indicated she was frustrated or concentrating on a certain piece of material. It was cute. Very cute.

Leaning against the lockers, he slid down slowly until he finally plopped down onto the floor, leaving no space between them. She could feel the warmth he exuded—a warmth that was better than a hot cup of coffee. She tried to focus on her notes, but her mind kept drifting away to the blue-eyed boy beside her. _Why did he have to sit so close_, she thought. If she didn't know any better, Kate thought he was doing it on purpose to get under her skin.

He let the comfortable silence engulf them for a few more moments before he nudged her with his elbow.

Taking out her headphones, she gave him her full attention—as if it already wasn't.

"I know how you can make it up to me," he said calmly, even though the slight raise of his brow indicated the contained excitement he was holding back.

Silently asking him to elaborate, Kate quirked an eyebrow.

"Come to my hockey practice." He grinned at her before explaining, "You have to tutor me today, and I don't want you waiting for me sitting around doing nothing. You might as well come and watch me." He smirked before he gave her a small smile that was reminiscent of a shy, innocent little boy asking his mother for a puppy.

Kate bit her bottom lip, squinting her eyes slightly as she contemplated his suggestion. Then, she smiled with a devious glint in her eyes. "Alright," she agreed.

"Really," he replied, surprised she didn't put up a fight.

"Yeah, sure," she said, turning back to her notes. But, as Rick took a satisfying sip of his coffee, she added in a lower tone, "I like boys who know how to handle their stick."

Rick proceeded to choke on his coffee, his coughing echoing loudly down the empty hallway. Kate tried to stifle her laughter.

"You are _such_ a tease," he replied in mock annoyance, between coughs.

Kate bit her lip, smiling. "You have _no_ idea."

…

Later that afternoon, Kate found herself walking to Creative Writing alone. She and Rick usually went straight to Creative Writing after Psychology, but, today, Rick had excused himself to attend to some business in the principal's office. She had given him the classic "Oh, you're in _trouble_!" line, bumping into him on purpose. He responded with a sarcastic laugh before they smiled at each other and went their separate ways.

It was strange having some space to herself. She wouldn't ever admit it, but she had gotten used to having him around. What she once thought was annoying in Rick, she now found endearing. He was jock with a heart of gold—at least that's what she had seen. Even though he could charm anyone to be his friend, he stuck by her little gang of friends, opting for trust rather than fickle popularity. But, no matter whom he chose to hang out with, all the girls in school still pined after him.

Lost in her thoughts, Kate didn't notice another student as she turned a corner and bumped into them, leaving her books scattered on the floor. Jolted out of her trance, she quickly bent down to pick up the mess. In her embarrassment, she hadn't notice the student helping her gather her things.

"I'm so sorry. I should have—" She looked up then, her green gaze meeting soft brown ones. "—looked where I was going," the last part of her sentence coming out in a soft, shy voice as she rose to her feet.

"No," the student quickly replied. "It's completely my fault." Realizing he was still holding several of her notebooks, he handed them back to her. "I believe these are yours."

"Thanks," Kate replied as she bit her lip slightly.

"I'm Josh, by the way," he said, introducing himself as he held out his hand.

"Kate," she returned, shaking his hand firmly, yet gently. She gave him a friendly smile, before saying, "Well, I got to get to class. I guess I'll see you around."

He returned her smile, still a little awestruck as he watched her form retreat down the hallway. "Yeah, see you around."

…

Kate watched from the bleachers as Rick and his teammates skated drills on the smooth ice—at least, as smooth as it can be after an hour and a half of practice. It was easy to spot him, all decked out in goalie gear. The other players were harder to distinguish.

The coach blew his whistle, and all the players skated toward him. Moments later, the guys scattered again, as the coach took out a bucket of pucks from behind the boards and spilled them onto the ice. Kate spotted Rick skating towards the net, prepping himself for what was to come.

Rick hit his stick against each post before standing his ground. A teammate skated over to the pucks and proceeded to shoot them toward the net. After several shots, the players switched out, continuing the drill until everyone had a turn.

Kate didn't watch them though. She watched Rick repeatedly block shot after shot, amazed that his reflexes were fast enough to catch up to the puck. He did it with ease and grace, never faltering in his concentration or his focus at hand. It was nice to see a different side of him—the serious side. He only let half a dozen through by the end of the drill, a feat that was quite impressive, even if only in practice.

The whistle blew again and all the players began helping each other get the pucks. Once they were all placed in the bucket, the coach dismissed them.

"Hey, dude, nice job blocking the pucks," a teammate said as he slapped an encouraging hand on Rick's back as he removed his goalie mask. "Couldn't get one by you today."

Rick smirked a bit. "It's my job, Josh," he replied. They chuckled. "But thanks."

He then looked around, searching for Kate. When he caught her eye, he nodded at her and she gave a small wave back.

"She your cheerleader, man," Josh asked, jokingly pushing Rick away from him.

"Ha, no. We're just friends," he replied. But the smile that he gave didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Really? She's cute. I'm surprised you don't have her hanging off your harm like Gina and Meredith."

Rick chuckled a bit. "Yeah. She's—", he paused. The word "special" came to mind, but he didn't want to sound like a dork. "She's not the type."

Sensing something amiss, Josh spoke up, "You sure there isn't anything going on between you two?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," he replied, stepping off the ice.

Josh hesitated before asking, "You mind if…"

"What? No, man, she's all yours." Rick reassured him with a smile, but all the while, his eyes belied the hurt of losing _his_ girl to someone else.

"Thanks, Castle," Josh replied, before walking into the locker room.

Rick stood outside the door for a moment, wondering what the hell he had just done. He scanned the bleachers again, seeing Kate making her way down the cement stairs. He sadly admired her grace, her dark wavy hair, her sense of confidence. A half smile appeared on his face before he walked away, realizing that maybe they were never meant to be.

**A/N: Thank you all the reviews :) And for **_**nicely**_** yelling at me?**

**And, yes, I skipped Demming. **

**And, I'm sorry I ended this chapter like that. But, it sort of needed to be done. But, I hope you enjoyed it anyway :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Fiery Red Ball of Surprise

"You okay? You're a little quieter than usual," Kate said, a bit concerned.

"Yeah," he sighed, running his hand through his already disheveled hair. Glancing up at her, he continued, "I guess I'm just tired from practice is all."

She wasn't convinced, and he knew it. Kate gave him a half-smile, deciding not to pry, before returning to her textbook, putting pencil to paper. Rick did the same, but all he could think about was the fact that he gave his chance away to someone else. He was defeated at his own game. He should have… _But, it's too late now_, he thought sadly.

Rick sighed inwardly. But, before he could wallow in his own self pity, his cell phone rang. Kate looked up from her notes, curious. Muttering an apology to her, he snatched it off the table and checked the caller ID. Rick instantly smiled at the mysterious caller and answered the phone.

"Castle," he greeted joyfully. He paused, listening before he spoke again. "Hey, sweetheart! How are you?... Really?... That's good… You are?... You must be tired. You should get some sleep." He listened to the caller intently, his smile growing a bit larger. "Sure! Why not?... Okay… Yep… I love you, too."

Hanging up the phone, he noticed Kate watching him with an inquisitive expression.

"So," she began. "Who called to put that kind of smile on your face?"

"No one special," he replied contentedly.

"Oh, really?" Kate wasn't buying it for a minute.

"Why, Kate," he said with a smirk. "Are you jealous of my mysterious caller?"

"No," she denied adamantly.

Rick's blue eyes sparkled as the corners of his lips curled into a smile. He placed his elbows on the table, leaning closer. "She's a great girl," he said softly, his blue eyes taking on a far away look. "She always makes me smile even on my darkest days."

A quiet "Oh" was Kate's only response. She scolded herself for being such a girl. She should have known that a guy like Rick would have already been taken by someone else. But, it still hurt.

"Yeah, she's quite the catch."

"How long have you…"

"Hm? Oh, about five years," he said matter-of-factly.

"Five years," she exclaimed, looking at him like he was crazy. Rick just nodded with a gentle smile.

"Would you like to meet her," he asked. "She's actually coming over right now."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to bother you guys." Kate begun to close her books away, tucking them into her shoulder bag.

"No, really. You're not a bother. She'll love you!" Kate clearly wasn't listening to him as she stood up from her chair. Without thinking, Rick reached out and gently grabbed her wrist. "Hey," he said, getting her attention. "Stay. She'll love to meet you."

She couldn't look him in the eye. Rick tugged a little. Giving up, her gaze met his as she bit her lip. He tilted his head slightly. A silent argument went on between them before Kate relented.

"Alright, I'll stay." _As much as it'll suck to see you with another girl_, she thought.

As Rick beamed, the door bell chimed throughout the house.

"And, not a moment too soon," he said as he hustled to the door.

Kate lagged behind, none too excited.

Before she reached the foyer, she heard a "C'mere!" from Rick and giggling. High-pitched, little girl giggling. _That's strange_, she thought. What she saw as she turned the corner was not what she expected.

Bent at the knees, Rick was hugging a small little girl tightly in his arms. With her arms around his neck, he picked her up off the floor, swinging her back and forth gently. Kate heard more giggling as Rick lifted her and cradled her against his hip.

"Hey, kiddo. I missed you." He tapped her little nose, another giggle escaping her.

"I missed you, too, Uncle Ricky," she joyfully replied, taking his face in between her small hands and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

Rick chuckled, before turning to the man who had dropped the little girl off.

"Hey, Mike. How long she staying?"

"Oh, a couple hours. I've got some errands to run before this little girl has to go to bed," he said, reaching to tickle his daughter. "It shouldn't be long. Think you can handle it?"

"Handle it? Ha! I laugh in the face of dangerous little girls! Don't I, sweetheart?"

The little girl nodded with a smile.

"Here, you might need this," Michael said as he handed Rick a backpack full of toys and coloring books. "There should be enough to keep her occupied until I come back."

"No problem." Rick turned to the girl in his arms. "Say bye bye to Daddy."

"Bye, Daddy!" She waved exuberantly as her father waved from the car.

After seeing the car disappear out of sight, Rick closed the door and slung the backpack over his other shoulder. He walked toward Kate with the new bundle in tow.

"Kate, I'd like you to meet Alexis, my god-niece," he said. Rick turned to Alexis. "Alexis, can you say hi?"

Alexis cowered a bit into the crook of his neck, but with some light encouragement from Rick, she mumbled out a "hello" before hiding again. The teenagers chuckled as Alexis peeked up at them.

Alexis had bright blue gaze, just like her god-uncle; although, her eyes were much more innocent than Rick's mischievous ones. Her light red hair tumbled in waves down her back as Rick bounced her in his arms, drawing out a squeal of giggles.

Kate brought a hand to cover her face as she shook her head in embarrassment. She had been jealous of this precious little girl. Glancing up at Rick, his blue eyes sparkled as he winked at her. In response, she returned a glare as she bit her lip. His smile only grew. Kate rolled her eyes.

Ignoring Rick, she reached out to tap lightly on Alexis' coat. "Hey, Alexis. It's nice to meet you. My name's Kate," she said softly.

Alexis moved away from the shelter of Rick's neck before meeting Kate's green eyes. "Hi," she answered, barely audible.

Kate smiled, trying a different tactic. "Alexis, do you like cookies?" The little girl nodded, loosening her grip on Rick's shirt. "If it's okay with Uncle _Ricky_," she said, emphasizing the nickname as she gave a pointed look to the little girl's god-uncle. "Do you want to help us bake some?"

Alexis proceeded to nod enthusiastically, clapping her hands in excitement. "Yes! Cookies! Please, Uncle Ricky?"

Rick laughed. "I think I have some mix in the kitchen," he said as he set Alexis down.

"Yay!" The teenagers smiled at the little girl as she ran to the kitchen.

…

"Uncle Ricky, your cookie is too small!"

He laughed. "You know what? I think you're right," he agreed as he scooped more cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Alexis beamed at him as she stood on a stepping stool between the two teenagers.

"Katie, can I put more M&Ms on my cookie?"

"Sure. How many do you want?"

Alexis thought heard about the question, before she held out all her fingers. "Ten!"

Kate grinned. Alexis already had a handful of M&Ms on her cookie. If she put any more on there, it would all become a gooey chocolate mess in the oven. "How about putting five on your cookie and then you can eat the other five once you get washed up?"

Alexis nodded happily as Kate gave her the colored candy.

Once all the cookie dough made its way onto the baking sheet, Kate helped Alexis wash her hands as Rick placed it in the oven and set the timer.

"I've got to say," said Rick as he moved in next to the girls at the sink. "This definitely beats studying." Kate rolled her eyes as she handed a paper towel to Alexis.

"Can I have my M&Ms now," asked Alexis. Kate nodded, keeping her promise.

"C'mon, Alexis," Rick said as he lifted her onto his shoulders. "Let's watch a movie while we wait."

"Movie, movie, movie," exclaimed Alexis as she clapped her hands excitedly.

They headed toward the living room with Kate right behind them. Rick set Alexis down on the couch before asking, "So, what do you want to watch, Princess?"

Alex thought about it long and hard as she scrunched up her face. Hopping off the couch, she went over to her backpack and proceeded to rummage through it to find what she wanted. After a minute of debating, she walked back to the teenagers, holding out _Beauty and the Beast_. "Can we watch this, Uncle Ricky?"

"A Disney classic! You've chosen well, my little girl," he said. Rick kissed her cheek, eliciting a small giggle, before putting the disc in the DVD player.

Alexis hopped up onto the couch next to Kate, and leaned into the teen as she got comfortable.

"Hey! Don't I get some cuddle time?" asked Rick, pouting.

Kate rolled her eyes, even as a smile crept onto her face. Before she could come up with a sarcastic reply, Alexis piped up. "Of course, silly! Come snuggle with us!"

Rick gladly took up the little girl's offer to Kate's chagrin. With Alexis in the middle, he rested his arm along the back of the couch. Kate could feel the warmth across her upper back, his fingers resting lightly against her shoulder. She wasn't happy about it, but what could she do? She couldn't just say no to Alexis.

Eventually, all three began to slump on the couch, and Kate resigned to resting her head on Rick's arm. She had to admit, it was a comfy pillow for the most part. Alexis rested her head on a pillow in Kate's lap and her legs in Rick's. The little girl was practically falling asleep.

When Belle and the Beast entered the ballroom, dancing to Mrs. Potts' voice, Rick unconsciously began to let his fingers stroke her shoulder. In Kate's groggy and relaxed state, she unknowingly snuggled closer to him. She closed her eyes against the comforting touch, letting out a contented sigh. As she faded into a slightly doze, she wasn't aware of a certain pair of blue eyes smiling at her with true adoration.

…

Just as the movie ended, the timer went off in the kitchen. Carefully sliding his way out from under the two sleeping beauties, he crept into the kitchen, taking out the delicious smelling cookies from the oven.

He took out three plates of the cupboard, before placing their individual cookies on each one.

"Uncle Ricky?"

He turned to find Alexis at the threshold of the kitchen, rubbing her eyes with tiny fists.

"Hey, sleepy head," he said smiling, hauling her up onto the counter beside the tray. She yawned loudly. "Still tired?" She nodded. "Still want your cookie?" She eyes popped open, and she nodded more vigorously. Rick chuckled.

He took out milk from the fridge and poured it into three glasses before replacing it.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Lex."

"Do you like Katie?" Although Alexis was only five years old, she was quite precocious for her age.

Slightly taken aback, Ricked hesitated before answering. "Honestly?" She nodded. "Yes, sweetheart. I like her."

"A lot?"

He sighed, sadly. "Yeah, a lot." He reached over to pinch her cheek playfully.

Alexis paused for a moment. "Does she like you?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not."

She smiled. "No, Katie likes you, too."

Rick let out a chuckle. "Oh, really? How do you know that?"

"I just know," she said matter-of-factly.

The innocent smile she wore melted his heart. Setting her down, Rick ruffled her hair and said, "C'mon, let's eat before they get cold."

Alexis ran ahead of him, yelling, "Katie! Katie! The cookies are ready! The cookies are ready!"

…

**A/N: Haha, some cute fluff, no? Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14: 20 Seconds of Courage

An hour later, Rick carefully handed a sleeping Alexis into the arms of her father. They said their goodbyes, and he closed the door.

"She's a sweet girl," Kate told him as she heard him entering the living room.

He smiled. "Yeah, she is." He paused, and then thoughtfully said, "I want a daughter like her someday."

"Me, too," Kate replied before she knew what she was saying. Slightly horrified, she raised her eyes. She was expecting a smirk, but got a genuine smile instead.

Silence fell over them before Kate finally stood up.

"I should probably go," she said reaching for her bag.

He only nodded, grabbing his keys off the kitchen table, before leading her out the door and into the truck.

"You know," he began, as he pulled out of his driveway. "I'm sorry our studying got interrupted."

Kate raised her eyebrow and shot him an amused expression.

"Okay, I'm not sorry," he admitted, chuckling. "But, nonetheless, I had a... a good time today."

"Ditto, Castle." She flashed him a smile before returning her gaze to the moving scenery beyond the window.

They were content to let the comfortable silence engulf them.

_It was nice_, Kate thought wistfully. _Just two friends having a good time. No expectations, no need to impress the other with gifts and words. It was just… perfect. _Her conscience was about to knock some common sense into her-that is, until Kate consciously decided to let her heart do the talking for once. Her lips curled into a soft smile.

Fine, she liked Castle. _A lot_, she admitted to herself. Lanie was right—of course. Rick wasn't the stereotypical jock, nor was he the shallow player she pegged him for—at least, from what she could discern from their time together. Crazy how in less than three months, he became a great friend to her.

"Well," Rick sighed, breaking the silence as he pulled in front of her house. He slung an arm across the wheel as he smiled, half facing her. "Until tomorrow."

"Yeah," she whispered, softly.

Before Rick knew what was happening, Kate leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek, lingering longer than necessary. She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but it just felt _right_.

In that moment, his mind went completely blank. All he could feel was Kate's soft lips on his skin, wisps of her hair tickling his nose with the smell of cherries. What he'd do to kiss her right now. All he had to do was turn his head. But, he wouldn't do that to her. It wasn't the time or place. _Someday soon_, he promised himself.

She nuzzled his cheek with her nose slightly before pulling back, letting her gaze meet his. His blue eyes were like sapphires, dark and bright at the same moment in time. His expression said it all. She saw the questions running through that head of his as if it was a film playing on a projector.

In lieu of an answer, the corners of her lips curled into a shy smile, her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Until tomorrow, Castle," she whispered.

And with that, she unlocked the door and let herself out, heading for the house. When she opened the front door, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at Rick before closing the door behind her.

She didn't see it, but she knew Rick's smile was just as wide as hers at that very moment.

…

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_

_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_

_No, I don't wanna mess this thing up_

_No, I don't wanna push too far_

_Just a shot in the dark that you just might_

_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life_

_So, baby, I'm alright_

_With just a kiss good night_

_~ "Just A Kiss" by Lady Antebellum_

…

A week and a half elapsed without fanfare. Neither had spoken about the night where everything seemingly fell into place. Although nothing changed about them to garner the attention of their friends, below the surface—emotionally—they had broken a barrier. Their glances, their smiles, and even their banter meant a whole lot more, now that feelings were somewhat known to the other.

As Kate thought about it for the umpteenth time, she smiled and blushed slightly. It wasn't her to be so forward with a guy.

But, it was over a week ago, she reminded herself. He should have made a move by now. Kate was starting to doubt herself, worry that he hadn't felt the same way, that he was just being nice so she wouldn't feel rejected.

Making it to her locker, she opened it, gathering and stuffing books as needed.

She suddenly felt a presence beside her. Assuming it was Castle attempting to sneak up on her again, she slammed her locker close.

"Cas—" She stopped. She gave an awkward smile. "Oh. Hey, Josh?"

Other than small talk, they hadn't spoken all that much since they knocked into each other a couple weeks ago.

"Hey," he replied smiling. "Uhm, I was just wondering…" He hesitated as he stared at his shoes for a moment. "Would – would you like to, you know, catch a movie sometime. Maybe this weekend?"

"Oh, uhm." Kate was conflicted. Josh was a nice guy, but she didn't like him like _that_. Then again, Castle hadn't made his move yet and she was getting a bit worried. What if he never did anything about it and she missed out on a guy like Josh? Kate bit her lip. "Josh, I – would you let me think about it?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure," he replied, feeling a little deflated. "I'll see you later."

As she watched Josh walk away, a voice behind her said, "Watcha looking at?"

Startled, she turned around with a slight frown. Rick's lips were pulled into a smug smirk. Kate rolled her eyes. "A cute boy's ass," she replied, sarcastically.

Rick pouted. "That's not nice."

"Why?"

"Because you look at another guy's butt and not mine. And because you say he's cute, but imply that I'm not," he nearly whimpered, with fake puppy dog eyes.

Kate just about laughed in his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked in a slightly harsh tone. "You are unbelievable!"

He chuckled. "Can't blame a guy for trying to get his ego stroked," he said, winking at her.

"I think you'll survive there, Bucko," she answered with a smile, as she turned him and pushed him down the hall. "C'mon, let's go before we're late to class."

**A/N: You might not hate me right now… But you will in the near future. Then love me again. It's a love-hate relationship we have, haha :)**

**I have this specific scene I want to write for this fic, but I'm not there yet -_- This idea has been driving me crazy!**

**Anyway, all grammar mistakes are mine. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**


	15. Chapter 15: Miscommunication

**A/N: Some of you guys are brutal lol. You know who you are. I update infrequently, I know. I'm like Richard Castle who waits for inspiration to strike, the deadline, or "Gina" to kick me in the butt. Good thing I'm not a novelist. And, I've been working on another piece, too, based off of _Safe Haven_ by Nicholas Sparks. It's good, I recommend it. I meant the book lol.**

**Anyway, I actually changed the timeline in the previous chapter because I realized I wanted to do something later in the story that just wouldn't make logical sense... We're still in the middle of November, in case you were wondering. So, here. Read away and tell me what you think :)**

In a few short hours, the gang met up at lunch—Javi and Kevin's favorite so-called period.

Although Rick had become great friends with Kate and the gang, he never sat with them. He always sat amongst the jocks and some of the most unpleasant popular girls in school. In other words, Meredith and Gina.

But it was his way. Rick could charm anyone—from the lowly "peasants" to the unearthly, heavenly "gods". Everyone liked him. He was one of the few who could maneuver his way through the social spectrum seamlessly without much grandeur or attention.

In the realm of the geeks and nerds, he talked about comic books and video games—even debating between the likes of Halo and Call of Duty. Rick's hidden love for such things made it easy for him to befriend them, even with such a popular reputation. Although weird looks and expressions from the jocks were cast at them from afar, Rick bid them no mind.

When he switched roles, his teammates teased him about hanging with the out-crowd. But, Rick always put them in their place, often with a glare and an insulting, witty comeback. And, after a while, they ceased their jabbing and accepted his overact of kindness to the people below them. It was unsaid of course—this whole social class. Many of the students were quite nice except for the occasional few. However, like in every high school, there was an invisible barrier separating each group from the rest.

So, it was a bit surprising to the gang when Rick came up to their table.

"Hey, guys," he said jovially, unaware of the looks of surprise he received from the people around him as he took a seat next to Kate.

"Hi?" Kate was slightly confused. As was everyone else.

Oblivious to the stares, Rick hungrily dug into his food. But after a moment, he looked up. "What?"

"Not to be mean, bro. But what are you doing here," Javi asked.

"Eating," Rick said as if it was obvious. Kate and Lanie scowled at him.

"What he means is what are you doing here. With us," Kate elaborated.

A small pout formed as sadness began to seep into him. "What? I can't sit with my friends?"

"No," exclaimed the gang collectively.

"That's not what we meant at all," Lanie said as she laid a comforting hand on Rick's arm.

"We're just curious, bro. You don't usually sit with us."

"Yeah. Don't get us wrong. It's great you're sitting with us. But, it's a little weird," chimed in Kevin.

Rick furrowed his brow slightly, thinking. "Well, from now on, I'll sit with you guys," he concluded, with a nod. "If it's okay, of course."

"Fine by me," Lanie said, smirking at Kate. She rolled her eyes.

"Me, too," Javi also replied, turning to Kevin who was nodding his head.

Rather than say anything, Kate just gave Rick a smile, letting him know he was welcome.

"Good. Now, can we go back to normal? This awkward tension is making me uncomfortable," Rick announced comically. The gang chuckled and fell back into easy conversation.

…

He wasn't in a rush. Never really was. So, when Gina stopped by his locker, Rick didn't really mind the conversation. He had sort of expected it anyway. She had been on his tail since he first moved here.

"Hey, Gina," he greeted. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to see you." She batted her eyelashes as she smiled sweetly at him.

"Oh." He gave her a fake smile, before returning his attention back to his open locker.

"And…"

"And, what?"

"I just wanted to tell you," she answered softly, as she leaned in closer. "That I like you."

"Oh. Oh! Uhm," he stammered. Uncomfortable, Rick said the first thing that came to his mind. "I like you, too?"

Oblivious to Rick's confused expression, Gina invaded his personal space. He was rooted to the ground, unable to move, watching it in slow motion as she leaned up and kissed him.

Surprised, his hands grabbed her upper arms. Instinct made him kiss her back for a brief period before his mind wandered to a beautiful green-eyed girl, wishing it was her that he was kissing instead of Gina. He suddenly pulled back, his eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry, Gina," he said, letting his hands drop to his sides. "I don't like you like that. I hope we can still be friends? Ow! What the—?"

Gina had slapped him. Hard. As he rubbed his cheek to ease the pain, he watched her form disappear down the crowded hallway.

…

She was hurt. It hurt. Her heart was broken to pieces in literally five seconds as she watched Rick Castle kiss Gina.

_How could he_, she thought. _I thought he was… I thought..._

She had been walking down the hall to meet up with Rick, when she saw them. The kiss. She didn't know what to think and immediately turned the other way, walking as fast as she could to the nearest restroom.

She let out silent tears and wiped them away with her sleeve, hoping to get herself cleaned up before her next class. And the worst part was, she was going to sit next to him and have to act as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't seen him with _her_.

_God, why did I fall for him. This wasn't supposed to happen._

Her conscience mocked her and said, _I told you so._

She didn't know how she was going to get through the next two classes with him. She'll just have to suck it up and battle through it. So much for breaking down some walls.

…

Rick watched Kate come into Hackett's class and quickly realized something wasn't right. She looked almost defeated. Sad. The sparkling twinkle in her eyes had faded, replaced by the shadow of despair.

The gang noticed, too, but didn't dare ask. She'd tell them in her own time, as she usually did. But Rick wasn't them. He couldn't keep his worried eyes off of her as she took her seat beside him.

Once class started, he couldn't take it any more. Opening his notebook, he noisily tore a page from it, writing a short message before placing it on Kate's desk without Hackett noticing.

She looked at him, puzzled.

"Read," he mouthed.

She sighed as she did as she was told. Scrawled in his signature penmanship, it said: _You okay?_

Rick watched as she picked up her pen and wrote on the piece of paper before handing it back to him.

_Yeah, I'm okay._

_You sure?_ he wrote. She nodded before she watched him write on the piece of paper again.

_You're a terrible liar, Kate Beckett._ She gave him a flat, forced smile before reaching for the paper.

_I'm fine. Just have a lot of things on my mind._

_Wanna talk about it? _

She shook her head. _Not with you_, she thought. _Anyone but you._

So, with that, Rick decided not to pry any further. But, he kept an eye on her through class, watching for any signs or clues as to what she was thinking about.


	16. Chapter 16: Confusion

When the dismissal bell rang that afternoon, Kate rushed out of Creative Writing, leaving Rick more confused than ever.

He couldn't figure out what was wrong, as much as he had tried. It was as if she just shut down all together. What happened between this morning and now that had gotten her so upset? He decided he needed to know. He made it his mission to get her to talk to him.

So, he chased her down the hall, finally catching up to her as she slammed her locker shut.

"Kate," he said gently, expecting a response. But, she ignored him and brushed past him. "Kate," he tried again, as he turned to watch her walk away. He sighed. He wasn't going to cause a scene here, not in the middle of a crowded hallway. He followed closely behind her, weaving and bumping through the students as they made their way to the exit.

When they made it halfway to the student parking lot, Rick scanned their surroundings for any students who were in hearing distance before grabbing her elbow to get her attention. "Kate! Hold on. Just stop!"

As she turned, he was taken aback by the glassy quality of her eyes. Rick let his hand fall limply by his side as all his words felt inadequate at that precise moment. "Kate," he let out hesitantly.

Kate was angry. Angry that she had let a guy like Castle break her heart. "Just leave me alone, Castle," she snapped at him, as a tear fell down her cheek. "Just go back to your slutty popular bimbos and leave me alone."

She was about to walk away when Rick wrapped his fingers firmly around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Kate," he whispered softly, taking a step closer.

More tears fell as she tried to wipe them away with her other hand. He couldn't do this to her. Play with her heart. She wasn't a play thing he could just mess around with whenever he wanted. She deserved more than that. After all she had been through, she definitely deserved more than that.

Rick cautiously stepped into her personal space, uncertain of whether he'd be slapped for being so close. "Kate, hey," he said softly as he hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. "Tell me what's wrong. Tell me what's got you so upset."

"You wouldn't understand," she muttered dejectedly, looking away from his piercing blue eyes.

"The hell I wouldn't," he said sternly, a little frustrated. "I consider you a good friend of mine, Kate. A _really _good friend. And when I see a good friend like you upset, I'm not just going to walk away because you want me to." He let his hand caress the side of her head, threading his fingers through her silky hair. "I care about you, Kate. Just tell me what's wrong."

Kate was about to tell him when she looked over his shoulder. Then, out of anger that she had thought Rick had tempered, she spitefully said, "Why don't you ask your bimbo?" before she walked away.

Suddenly, thin arms were wrapping his waist from behind. He glanced over his shoulder and came face to face with Gina.

_Oh, shit_, he thought as realization of the situation set in.

…

When she got home, she was thankful that her father wasn't home to ask any questions. She needed to be alone for a while. Actually, no. She needed to talk to Lanie.

As she made her way to her desk, she dropped her bag onto her bed. She opened her laptop and logged onto facebook. Kate hoped Lanie was on, but she quickly realized she was probably with Javi. She sighed heavily, and then proceeded to type in "Could this day get any worse?" into her status bar. But as she was about to click out of the window, she received a chat from Josh.

_Hey, you okay?_

She sighed, not really in the mood to talk him. She typed out a short response, hoping to end this conversation soon.

**Honestly? No.**

_You want to talk about it?_

**Not really.**

_It's sometimes easier to talk to a stranger. Or at least, a semi-stranger :)_

She smiled a little. Maybe he was right.

**Idk… I just feel like I got used.**

_I'm sorry :/ By who?_

**A friend. A good friend. **

She wasn't actually lying to him. Castle was a good friend, just one that she happened to have a crush on but got indirectly rejected.

_That stinks._

**Yeah. I thought I could trust them, but in the end, they ended up hurting me instead.**

_I'm sorry :( _

**It's okay. Just need to clear my head a bit.**

_Well… I know this isn't the best time, but… would you want to catch a movie? Tonight, maybe? Might take your mind off of your friend…_

Before she typed out her answer, Kate paused. Would it be so bad to watch a movie with Josh? He seemed like a good enough guy. It's not like he knew much about her, and he was right. Sometimes talking to a stranger was easier. Cathartic almost.

**Sure. I'm up for any movie, so your choice.**

_Cool! I'll pick you up around seven?_

**See you then :)**

Despite the anger, the frustration, and the sadness that had enveloped her for the past several hours, she found herself smiling a bit. It was a comfort to know that maybe not all guys were really jerks.

…

As ten o'clock approached, Rick found himself sitting on his bed with his laptop, just waiting for Kate to show up on his facebook chat. He'd tried her phone three times already, all of which went straight to voicemail.

He sighed. He had to admit, he was antsy. He needed to clear this whole thing up because…

Then, he saw it.

_Kate Beckett_ is now in a relationship with _Josh Davidson_.

Rick didn't believe it at first. He read it over, again and again, before it finally sank in a bit. His initial reaction was confusion. Kate and Josh hardly ever talked. He only knew that because he was with her for most of the school day to begin with. He didn't even know they knew each other that well. Josh was a great guy, but it still felt like a punch in the gut. But then, just a quickly, Rick got angry, mostly at himself. He basically gave Josh the all clear to have her. Looking back, he never should have done that. He should have just asked Kate out a long time ago. He was such a coward. Then, Rick became saddened by the fact that he would have to watch her be happy with another guy. He felt heartbroken—his heart ready to crumble into a million pieces.

…

**A/N: Did you know I was actually considering about getting Rick and Kate to admit EVERYTHING in the chapter? I was sorely tempted to do it. Really tempted! But, alas, I did not… Mostly because I have some scenes I really want to write… One involves mistletoe (But, it's not what you think though! So, get that idea out of your head haha.) and another is about some sensitive nature :x… then, I've got an idea for post-prom (Yeah, not what you think either lol.)… It will be all nice and fluffy :) Well, with a lot of angst? I find I write drama and sad moments better than the funny, happy ones... Hence most of my other stories, if you have read them lol.**

**This chapter was a little rushed. It's 5:47 am and I haven't gone to sleep yet. So, make me a happy writer and leave me some reviews when I wake up? :)**


	17. Chapter 17: Playing Games

Flashback

_"Hey," he said as she opened the door. "You ready?"_

_She was wearing her favorite pair of dark washed jeans and a casual blue and gray stripped v-neck over a white camisole. Since she never considered this a date in the first place, she didn't make that much of a fuss over what to wear and just pulled her hair into a loose ponytail, letting some wisps frame her face._

_"Yeah, let's go," she replied, as she walked out and closed her front door._

_"I'm glad you said yes," he mumbled softly as they made their way to his car. "You didn't have to, you know."_

_"Josh, I said yes because I wanted to go with you," she assured him, giving him a small smile. She wasn't exactly lying to him. There was a small part of her that wanted to go to the movies because it was with him. But, mostly, she just wanted to desperately keep her mind off of Castle._

_He smiled back. Silence settled again until they got into his car and backed out of the driveway. As the scenery passed them, Kate found mind wandering to a certain blue-eyed boy with dark brown hair. Needless to say, she failed to hear Josh when he addressed her._

_"Kate. Kate?"_

_"W-What? I'm sorry. I must have zoned out." She glanced at him, a little embarrassed._

_He paused for a moment, before saying what had been on his mind since he first started talking to her on facebook. "You're still hung up on him, aren't you?" His half smile, half smirk didn't go unnoticed._

_"Who? What are you talking about," she replied, in complete denial._

_"I'm not dumb, Kate. I can see it."_

_"See what," she asked confused that he was so perceptive._

_"That you like Castle. A lot," he emphasized. Josh was just stating the facts. His tone bore no malicious intent. He only wanted to help._

_Kate's silence spoke volumes._

_Quickly, Josh pulled over into a parking space. But, realization set in as Kate noticed they weren't at the movie theater but at a school playground. Josh got out and rounded the car, opening her door._

_"Wait, I thought we were going to the movies?" She was a little scared now._

_"Change of plans, I guess. Don't worry," he chuckled. "I'm not a psycho." Extending his hand for her to take, he beckoned, "Come on."_

_He walked them over to one of the various platforms that made up the playground. Taking a seat on the lowest platform, he let go of Kate's hand and let the silence hang between them until she was ready to talk. It wasn't long until she spoke._

_"I'm sorry," she sighed._

_"There's really no need to be sorry."_

_"But, I am. I took advantage of you, because I had a bad day with no one to turn to. I just, I shouldn't have done that."_

_"Well, do you want to talk about it? Like really talk about it?"_

_Josh watched as she kicked the mulch beneath her feet, wondering if she could trust him._

_She glanced at him, before returning her gaze to her feet. "I just feel so… lost. I was fine; we were fine until today," she muttered vaguely._

_"What happened?"_

_She took in a deep breathe and closed her eyes. "I-I saw him kiss Gina." Josh just waited for her to continue. "It hurt, because I thought we had something. Apparently, we never did."_

_He smiled a bit. "You know, Gina is a conniving bitch sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all her idea." That got a sincere chuckle out of Kate, and she rolled her eyes. "It's not the first time she's done it, and probably not the last."_

_"Yeah, but… the way he was holding her, kissing her." She sighed, letting her head fall into her hands, frustrated. "Either way, I just feel like I've been cheated on when in reality I didn't have him to begin with."_

_"You're jealous, aren't you?" Josh let his dazzling smile do the talking._

_Kate smiled and shook her head at the notion. "I honestly don't know. Maybe. But, it doesn't change anything."_

_"Well, maybe we can," he said. There was a mischievous glint in his eye._

_"How so," she asked, quirking her brow._

_"Well, I know for a fact he doesn't like Gina. He's actually a little scared of her to be quite honest." They chuckled. "We're not the best of friends, but being teammates together, we get to know each other like brothers." He paused. "Castle actually gave be permission to ask you out. Did you know that?" Kate furrowed her brows and shook her head. "When I asked him, he looked as if his puppy just died. But, he said yes anyway."_

_"Why?" she let herself ask, slightly confused. "If he liked me so much, why would he just let me go? Not that you're not a nice guy or anything," she added quickly, glad that the darkening sky hid the blush that crept into her cheeks._

_"No offense taken," he chuckled. "But, I guess he was just scared to get hurt, to be rejected, just like you are. But, unlike you, he's risking more than just his pride. And you're one of the only girls who didn't fall for his charm."_

_She looked at him skeptically._

_"You know what I mean," he said as he tried to elaborate. "He's never had a friend like you. You didn't throw yourself at him."_

_"Like everyone else?" Josh nodded slightly, watching the various emotions cross her features._

_"But, what do you mean he's risking more than his pride?" she asked, playing dumb. She promised to keep it a secret after all._

_He gave her a half smile. "Kate, I know about him and his "family". I thought I recognized him, so I got a little curious, and I sort of researched him," he said sheepishly. "I'm geekier than your average jock." She smiled at that. "But, I think we can make him come out of his shell. You game?"_

_"I don't know," she muttered softly. "I don't want to…"_

_"C'mon, what have you got to lose?"_

_Kate bit her lip for a few moments before she sighed. "All right. What's this big plan of yours?"_


	18. Chapter 18: Uneasy Tension

"What the hell did you do?"

"What are you talking about?" Kate replied, feigning innocence as Lanie glared a hole into the back of her head. She knew exactly what Lanie was talking about, but she really didn't want to talk about it. What was she going to say? I want to make him jealous so I hooked up with Josh, but not really. Yeah, that sounded sane…

"About what?" Lanie walked over and slammed Kate's locker closed. She just barely got her hand out of the way. "How about you're in a relationship with Josh? That ring any bells?"

Kate sighed sadly, avoiding Lanie's glare.

"Of all the things you could do, honestly. You give some guy you hardly know a chance, but not Writer Boy, who has been pining after you since he first laid eyes on you? You led him to believe that you liked him!"

"He became my friend, Lanie. And yours, too. I didn't lead him on!"

"Like hell you didn't," Lanie replied.

"I didn't lead him on," Kate said adamantly, before she looked away and whispered, "He led _me_ on." Kate looked dejectedly down the corridor and remembered the memory of finding Rick kiss Gina…or Gina kissed Rick…or whatever the hell that happened. She was brought back to the present by a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Lanie stopped in her tracks and suddenly softened her tone. "What happened?"

Kate looked down at the tiled floor beneath her feet. "I saw him kiss Gina." It was whispered so softly that Lanie barely caught it.

"What," she said in disbelief, "I'm so sorry, Kate."

"Me, too."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

Kate let out a humorless chuckle. "No!"

"Well, why haven't you?"

"What am I supposed to say, Lanie," she replied as she waved her arm absently. "Oh, hey, Castle! I saw you kiss that _thing_, and I'm jealous because I thought you liked me?" Kate leaned back against her locker and hit her head slightly back in frustration. "How pathetic would that sound?"

"Pretty pathetic," Lanie said after a moment. "But that's better than having a relationship with Josh."

"I'm not in a relationship."

"Facebook says otherwise."

A faint smile appeared on Kate's lips before she worried her bottom lip, contemplating. "We're not in a relationship, Lanie. It's all a ruse."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's all for show." Kate chuckled slightly. "Actually, it was all Josh's idea. He was the one who suggested it."

It took a moment for the wide-eyed Lanie to take it all in, putting the pieces together. After a moment, she asked, "So, this relationship… It's all a game to get Castle jealous?"

Kate's only response was a slight half-smile.

"Oh, Kate. Castle's gonna be devastated when he finds out! Why the hell would you do that?"

Kate let out an exacerbated sigh. "I know, Lanie. I know." She paused. "I'm not proud of what I did, but," her tone dropping slightly as she continued, "I guess… I guess I just wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt me."

Lanie comfortingly rubbed her arm. "Oh sweetie."

"But what's done is done, and I can't take it back. Even if I changed my status back, he'll still ask about it. He always does."

"Well, maybe he hasn't seen it yet." Kate kept her eyes downcast. "He has, hasn't he?"

Kate nodded, but just slightly. "He was the first one to "like" it, Lanie."

…

"Hey, man," greeted Javi, as he and Kevin walked up beside the sulking figure in the school parking lot. He was so lost in his thoughts; Rick barely registered the presence of his two friends.

"Oh, hey," he muttered, his mind drifting to other things on his mind.

Javi and Kevin looked at each other, confused. "You all right, Castle?"

He gave them a false smile. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

The two friends looked at each other again. Kevin shrugged in response, as if he was saying _Oh__well.__At__least__we__tried._ His counterpart furrowed his brow and looked at him disapprovingly. Kevin just rolled his eyes.

"You don't seem like your usual self," said Javi, nudging him playfully, trying to get Rick to cheer up.

He raised an eyebrow. "My usual?"

"You know, happy go lucky," responded Javi.

"Funny," chipped in Kevin.

"Friendly."

"Prankster."

"Annoying."

"Wiseass."

"Egotis—"

"All right, all right. I get the point," Rick said, cutting off Javi's next adjective to describe him. "I'm just having a rough morning, okay?"

"Should we buy that, Javi," asked Kevin.

He paused, scrunching up his face in thought, before he concluded, "Nope." He absently slapped his hand against Rick's chest, getting his attention. "C'mon, bro. What's got you so bumped out today? It hasn't even started yet."

"I don't want to talk about it," Rick muttered, before picking up his pace, leaving Javi and Kevin confused. It took them a moment before they followed him up the stairs to the entrance of the school.

…

Rick promised himself he wasn't going to act any differently toward her. He had no right to be an asshole about it and shut her out. If she was happy, then he should support her. That's how the friend thing worked, right?

He walked down the hallway to her locker, bracing himself for whatever awkward conversation they were going to have. All he had to do was nod his head and smile, hoping he didn't fail miserably at doing so.

Having been caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice the enormously tall guy with the wavy, black hair until he was only a few feet away from Kate's locker. Josh had his arm slung around her shoulders in a gently possessive manner.

At that moment, so many emotions consumed him. Jealousy was momentarily at the forefront. However, it was trumped a second later by his conscience. Not only was he the one that didn't make a move for her, he was also the one who gave Josh the go-ahead to ask her out. And apparently, she had accepted. His jealousy morphed into anger—not at them, but at himself. Then, the anger faded into disappointment and longing. He wished he could take it all back and start over.

Taking a sidelong glance down the hallway, Kate caught sight of Rick. If his shuffling stance was any indication, he was feeling just as awkward in this situation as she was.

"Hey, Castle," she greeted meekly. This caught the attention of Josh, who spun around in surprise.

"Oh, hey man," he said cheerfully with a smile.

Rick's only response was a flat smile. Instead of voicing the issue at hand, Rick's gaze shifted between the two "lovebirds" with a quizzical expression that clearly asked 'So, what's going on between you two?"

"Oh, sorry. We're officially going out now," Josh answered, pulling Kate's body closer. Rick didn't think Josh's smile could get any larger. He envied him.

"That's great. I'm happy for you two." Rick smiled, but his congratulations lacked a bit of sincerity. But who could blame him?

"Thanks," Kate quietly replied. She chanced a look at him and saw something she couldn't quite place. If she didn't know any better, it looked something along the lines of defeat, like he had given up on something he had longed to have. Then again, maybe she was just seeing things.

"Yeah, thanks," repeated Josh. "This wouldn't have happened if you… you know."

"Yeah, I know." How could he forget blowing his chances with the extraordinary Kate Beckett? Why the hell did he give him his permission anyway? Stupid, dumb, and idiotic were adjectives that couldn't begin to describe where his mind was when he had said it. "Well, I've got to get to class. See ya later."

Even before he turned his back, he heard, "Wait, I'll come with you." He glanced over his shoulder, watching as Josh bent down to kiss his girlfriend's cheek. God, it was sickening. How the hell was he supposed to survive this?

Josh smiled at her, murmuring something in her ear before he let her go. As Kate walked toward him, Rick was struck again by how beautiful she really was. How did he even think of letting her go?

When she reached his side, they silently walked to class, unsure of where they stood with each other and how they could begin talking about such an uncomfortable situation.

"You guys are disgustingly cute," Rick said, breaking the silence. He was telling her the half-truth because they were cute together. It was just the 'not being him' part that rubbed him the wrong way.

Kate blushed slightly. She and Josh had just been talking about this dumb game they were playing when she had seen him. When she had told Josh that Castle came by her locker every morning, he had immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. When she tensed up a bit, he reassured her that he was just acting like a real boyfriend would. And she certainly hadn't expected Josh to kiss her cheek, but when he whispered "Just play along" in her ear, she leaned slightly into it and smiled lightly as she had walked away, acting like the girly girl she was even if it wasn't the guy she really wanted. "Shut up, Castle."

They both chuckled slightly, albeit a little sadly at his jab. Did he really think they were together? How would he react when he found out the truth? Would he be mad that he was played, or would he be glad that she wasn't taken after all?

"If he does any funny business, you let me know. I'll be glad to mess up that pretty face of his on the ice."

Kate smiled at his proposition. "Big brother," she teased, as she nudged his arm with her shoulder.

"No," he quickly responded, shaking his head as he gently grasped her wrist with his fingers. "Not a brother. Just someone who cares for you." He hesitated. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Too late, she thought.

"Don't worry about me," she said softly, hiding her hurt behind a smile. "I'll be okay."

She thought her reassurance would be enough. So, when Rick suddenly pulled her aside into an open stairwell, she was caught by surprise.

Kate stared slightly wide-eyed at him, confused. His normal, bright blue eyes had taken on a deep sapphire hue, so intense that she would have been intimidated had it not been for his gentle voice... and the fingers that were gently caressing hers.

"Promise me," he whispered, lightly squeezing her delicate fingers as an added emphasis. "Promise me you'll tell me if he does anything to hurt you."

Where was this Castle when she wanted him to take the initiative on their would-have-been relationship? Little frustrated, she asked, "Why are you so protective all of a sudden?"

"Just—"

"I'm a big girl, Castle. I can handle myself."

"I know," he replied, placing calming hands on her shoulders. "I know. Just promise me."

She was sure Rick could see into her as his blue gaze penetrated through her. He looked so sad. She wasn't sure if it was because he was worried about Josh treating her badly or if... No, don't even go there, Kate. He's just being a good friend.

But his eyes. The way they were looking at her nearly made her melt. She looked away, scared that if he looked long enough, he'd discover all her secrets.

She felt strong fingers lift her chin, bringing her gaze back to his. He searched her green eyes, as if asking for permission, before he swept a strand of hair away and tucked it behind her ear. "Promise me, Kate," he repeated softly.

"I-I promise," she replied shakily. The brush of his fingers on her skin had sent little sparks through her body and had left her holding her breath without her knowing.

He felt it too. In different circumstances, he'd have leaned in slowly, allowing her enough time to pull away, before he gently tugged her body closer and kissed her softly. But this was reality, and she didn't belong to him.

The school bell suddenly echoed through the halls.

He let his hands drop to his sides, the spell broken. "I'll see you later?"

She nodded, watching him as he took a step back with each passing second when all she wanted to do was call him back and hold on to him. But she didn't.

He half smiled at her, then walked into the crowd of students and disappeared.

...

The gang met up later that day at lunch. Well, actually, only three of the five members. The other two were MIA at the moment. Javi and Kevin sat around the table wondering what the hell was up with Rick while an amused Lanie watched silently.

"He was so bummed out today. I don't get it," mused Kevin.

"What's there to get, Kev? He's apparently just having a bad day."

"Oh, c'mon. You seriously don't buy that, do you?" Javi gave him a noncommittal shrug.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Lanie," he said, focusing his attention to Kate's best friend. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Mhmm." She didn't even look up from her food. With everything going on, she was smart enough to put two and two together.

Two pair of male ears perked up. They waited, but the words they wanted to hear never came.

"Well?" prodded Kevin as he leaned in closer over the table.

"Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to tell us?"

"No."

"Aw, baby, c'mon," Javi practically begged. "You can't just tell us you know something and expect us to forget about it." For added emphasis, he pouted.

Lanie chuckled slightly, patting her boyfriend's cheek lightly. "I thought you said you weren't interested."

"No, I didn't."

"Not in so many words, baby," she said before placing a chaste kiss on the frown his lips had formed, indicating she had clearly outsmarted him.

"So, you gonna tell us or what?" Kevin asked from across the table, interrupting the couple's moment.

"Boy, you better not talk to a girl that way."

"He doesn't have one, so he doesn't have to worry about it," teased Javi as he wrapped an arm around Lanie.

"Hey, that's not true," he countered loudly. Then, dropping his tone, he said with a shy smile, "I do have a girl." It was said more to himself then to his two friends.

Two pairs of eyes across the table went a little wide-eyed at the new information.

"Wait. When did this happen, bro?"

"Oh, uh, during the summer," he answered a little bashfully. "She and her family were vacationing at the same place we were. Our parents became friends and all that," he said. "I guess we did, too." Kevin couldn't hide his smile even if he tried. His friends smiled back.

"Aww. Baby, look! He's smitten," Lanie cooed as she squeezed Javi's arm.

"What's her name?" asked Javi.

"Jenny." His smile lit up his light blue eyes.

Reaching across the table, Javi gave him a congratulatory hair ruffle; though with it being short as it was, it didn't really have the desired bed head effect. "Our boy is all grown up," Javi teased.

"Shut it, Esposito," Kevin replied as he flattened out what little of his hair Javi had successful ruffled out of place.

Lanie scolded Javi by back-slapping his shoulder, shooting him a disapproving look. Her expression softened when she turned back to Kevin.

"I'm happy for you, Kev."

"Thanks."

They all smiled before Lanie broke their little circle of happiness.

"Too bad I can't say the same for Kate and Writer Boy."

"You mean City Boy," corrected Kevin.

"No. I mean Writer Boy," Lanie said with a challenging raise of her brow.

He paused and contemplated his next move, before sighing heavily. "You know what, I don't even want to know," he replied, clearly letting Lanie win the short-lived argument.

Lanie could hear Javi's chuckle beside her ear as he squeezed her shoulders in praise. "Man, you're so easy," he said, his comment directed at Kevin.

"Me? You're the one who's whipped, man."

Before Javi could get a word out, Lanie gave him 'the look' and it immediately made him swallow his words. Kevin tried to stifle a chuckle as he watched Javi grumble under his breath.

"So, what's this about Castle," Kevin asked.

"More like Kate." She received two confused expressions in return. "You guys don't know?"

"Know what, chica," prodded Javi.

"First of all, both of you guys suck at checking your facebooks. And secondly, Kate is going out with Josh Davidson. Emphasis on the phrase 'going out'."

"Ouch... No wonder he was in a funk today," said Javi.

Kevin picked up on the emphasized words. "What do you mean 'going out'?" he asked, using his fingers for air quotes.

"I mean they're going out but not 'going out'."

"Okay, now I'm lost," Javi mumbled as he leaned in to nuzzle his nose into Lanie's hair. He clearly wasn't really listening to the conversation. He had other, sweeter things on his mind.

When she placed a firm hand on his chest, he pulled away and frowned slightly. "What I mean is," she says as she gave a pointed look at her boyfriend. "Kate and Josh aren't really going out. They're playing with Writer Boy."

"Like a game?"

Javi gave Kevin a 'what are you, stupid?' look.

"Mhmm," confirmed Lanie, nodding for extra emphasis.

"Well, why? I thought Kate liked Castle," mused Kevin as he raised his child-size milk carton to his mouth.

"She did. She does. But she said she saw him kiss Gina."

Javi's eyes bugged out and his jaw went slack in surprise.

Kevin sputtered as he kept himself from spitting out his milk. He coughed out "WHAT?"

"Yep... So, she's dating Josh to get back at him. But I don't think it's going to turn out so well."

"If Castle ever finds out," began Javi.

"He'll go ballistic," finished Kevin. "I know I would."

"Yeah, well... I just hope Kate knows what she's doing."

The boys looked at each other, a move that Lanie knew all too well. "Now, boys," she said in an accusing tone. "Don't tell Castle Kate saw him kiss Gina and don't go digging around for an explanation from him either. This conversation never happened. Is that clear?"

She saw them sigh heavily. "Crystal..."

...

Sitting in the far corner table in the school library, Kate sought refuge from her friends.

Oh hell. Who was she kidding? If she was being honest with herself, she was hiding from Castle like a coward.

As awkward as this morning was, he had been so sweet about it. She had expected him to be angry with her. Annoyed, yes. The cold-shoulder, definitely. And of course, the sadness she saw in his blue eyes. But why the hell did he have to be so sweet?

She absently touched her cheek, remembering the feel of his fingers across her skin. If she closed her eyes, she could still see his dark blue eyes staring back at her. Those expressive eyes that could tell her everything and nothing all at once. She could get lost in them if given the chance.

"Hey," a male voice muttered behind her.

Shit.

"Oh, hey," she mumbled as she mustered up at least a small smile.

Rick considered her a moment before motioning toward the seat in front of her. "May I?"

Was it really that awkward that he was asking to sit with her now? She inwardly sighed. She was a little hurt, but more than that, she was sad that this one thing could damage their relationship so badly that he was 'asking' to sit with her. They were never, even from the start, so formal with each other.

"You never have to ask, Castle."

"I thought... I mean I didn't want to—"

"Castle, it's fine. Sit," she ordered quietly.

He stood there uneasily for a moment before he pulled the chair back and took a seat in front of her. As they sat there, an odd silence consumed them. It wasn't uncomfortable like it had been this morning. But it was... different. And she didn't like it.

"So," he began. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at lunch?"

She gave him a slight smile. "I should be asking you the same question."

"I asked first," came his quick retort.

She smiled again, but it gradually faded to a frown. She shrugged as she sighed, "Didn't finish all my homework last night." Sadly, that was only half true. She did have homework to do, except she had finished it earlier that morning. Luckily for her, she had taken out a textbook from her bag before he had interrupted her thoughts. So, to him, the excuse seemed valid, even though it truly wasn't. "So why aren't _you_ at lunch?"

"To be honest, I don't know," he said truthfully. "I guess I just wanted to get away." _From__you.__But__that__obviously__didn't__work_, he thought.

"Great minds think alike." She was met with a small smile in response.

A moment of silence fell between them before Rick asked, "You have lunch yet?"

"Uh, no," she said softly.

At her response, Rick leaned over and rummaged through his backpack. Before she knew it, she was being handed a turkey sandwich.

"Here," he offered.

"Castle, I can't tak—"

"Yes, you can," he replied in a serious tone. "I usually bring two with me anyway," he explained, still holding the sandwich as he took out another one from his bag.

"Castle, that's your lunch. I'll feel guilty."

"Nah. C'mon. You've got to be hungry."

She looked at the offered sandwich. To be honest, she was starving. She hadn't made herself breakfast that morning and now she was paying the price.

She gave him a grateful smile before taking the sandwich from him, their fingers brushing slightly in the exchange. They both noticed, but decided not to dwell on it.

He unwrapped his sandwich, and she followed suit. They eat in silence, until Rick piped up again. "So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"Nothing special. Just going upstate to visit some family. You?"

"Probably spend it with Alexis's family. You remember her, right?"

She nodded. "How could I forget?"

He smiled softly and then sighed. "I haven't seen her since she visited last time. Been too busy with school and hockey, you know?" Looking out the window, he asks absently, "Anyway, are we still studying together today? I know you probably have plans with Josh or something."

She could hear the hurt in his voice even if he was trying to be nonchalant about it. "We're still on for today," she said softly, hoping the small smile could brighten up his melancholy demeanor.

He nodded this time, but the sadness didn't subside.

Before she knew it, Castle was pushing in his seat and grabbing his backpack off the floor. "I'll see you after practice."

And just like that, as fast as he had come, she watched Castle disappeared through the stacks of books and shelves.

* * *

**A/N: I don't think my apologies will do any good, but I am sorry for the long wait. Life gets in the way. Being in school gets in the way. Try having Organic Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Physics (all with their respective 3 hour labs), and a history elective in one semester three times a week. If you want free time, Pharmacy is not the major for you. Fair warning lol. I barely have time to myself :( I wrote most of this on the train, on my phone...**

**And to the Anon who left an unnecessary borderline nasty comment, that's not the right way to encourage the author of a story to continue. Even if it is on your favorites list (or an ex-favorite, in this case), you have to respect them and the circumstances that keep them from their writing. You should be ashamed because I could have been going through something terrible and getting your message on top of that would have made a bad situation worse. So, please, rather than get angry, message the author and ask them if you want another chapter.**

**And to my readers (do I even have any left? lol.), I'm glad you're still following this story. And even if it takes a long time for updates, the story isn't far from my thoughts. I just have little time to write with the course load I have. And, I'm amazed that people are still finding this story even under all the great stories that have come after this!**

**Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving! Stay safe :)**

**-Christina**

**P.S. For those of you who know of my other story "If Only" which was written a while back (although, it has nothing do with the LA episode, even though it bears the If Only title and was posted on the same night the episode aired), I had previously marked it as complete. But somehow, people keep finding it... So, a sequel is in the works. And for those of you who read it, I would love it if you would :) It's the story I'm most proud of!**


	19. Chapter 19: Mistletoe Confessions

The next couple of weeks passed by without any conflict—at least none that anybody could notice. Kate and Rick went about with their lives, acclimating to the new circumstances as best they could. Although everything seemed fine on the surface, the feelings they wrestled with ran deeper, hidden behind a veil of fake smiles and polite courtesy.

But what were they supposed to do?

He wasn't about to lay his heart on the line for someone who obviously didn't want him. But that didn't mean he could walk away with the drop of a hat. If anything, he would probably follow her to the ends of the earth at the moment. Or, maybe he was just a glutton for punishment.

And as for Kate, she desperately wished she never started this game. She wished she had confronted him. Wished she hadn't run away. This game was sucking the life out of her, and it was clearly killing him too. His eyes no longer held their sparkle. And every time she saw him, she wanted to tell him that it was all a lie, that he was the one she wanted. Ugh, if only she could take it all back. If only she could start over.

…

It was two weeks before Christmas when Lanie sent out a Facebook invitation to her annual Christmas party. The whole gang was invited, as well as a dozen other friends—including Josh to Rick's chagrin. Can't invite Kate without her boyfriend…

Over the past couple of weeks, it had taken everything in his power not to punch Josh in the face during practice. Josh talked almost nonstop about how great she was, which drove Rick insane. Every time Josh opened his mouth, Rick clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white under his heavy equipment. The only thing stopping him was the thought of Kate angry at him.

And, as the party approached, neither Kate nor Rick brought up the subject. Actually, they avoided the discussion of the party as much as possible outside of the safety of the gang, and even then, their participation in the conversation was minimal. It hurt too much to think about.

…

A day before the party, Rick was suddenly stopped by Josh, who greeted him with a slap on the shoulder as he was walking to class.

"Hey, man," Josh greeted cheerfully. "You coming to the party tomorrow?"

Rick was a little dazed by his happy teammate. Then again, he had the girl after all…

"Uhm, I don't know. Probably," he said dismissively. "Depends I guess."

"Well, if you do go, Kate and I will definitely be there," Josh replied, smiling. "Hopefully we'll see you. Well, I gotta get to class. See ya tomorrow!"

And, just as quick as he had interrupted his thoughts, Josh disappeared, leaving a lovesick Rick behind.

…

The party was low-key, which was a nice getaway from the ones he was used to. Lanie had done an amazing job decorating the place. Garlands and hollies were placed on the mantle and window sills; snowflakes hung from the ceiling and Christmas lights all over; and decorative cookies, eggnog and other goodies were set out on the refreshment table. And even though he couldn't find it at the moment, he knew the elusive mistletoe was hanging somewhere.

As he leaned against the wall nursing his drink, people might have described his demeanor as brooding as he watched them with expressionless eyes. But what could he do. He was only here to make Lanie happy. It wasn't as if he really wanted to come.

"Hey," a voice said softly.

He turned and was met with gorgeous green eyes and a stunning smile.

"Oh, hey," he replied, a bit surprised by her sudden appearance. Looking around, he scanned the crowd of people for the tall, handsome boyfriend of his object's affection. Unable to find him, he asked, "Where's Josh?" Not that he minded.

"He couldn't make it," she answers quietly, nervously fidgeting with her hands.

"Oh." He paused. "Why?" _If he ditched her, I swear I'm going to rip his head off._

She shrugs, biting her bottom lip. "Family thing he couldn't get out of. Said it had been planned for weeks."

Rick turned away from her, his body tense. Sensing a change in him, she put a comforting hand on his arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said tightly, as his mind envisioned ten different way in which to inflict bodily harm on Josh.

"Are you sure?" He didn't say anything, content to stare down into his drink. "You can tell me anything, you know."

He met her inquiring eyes. _I can't. Not without hurting you._

"Castle?"

He wanted to reach out and smooth the furrow between her brows, the one she always got when she was thinking or concentrating. The way she was looking at him, her green eyes sparkling in the light… God, he would do anything to go back and have another chance. It was all he really wanted for Christmas.

He sighed and pushed himself off the wall as he placed his drink on a nearby table. Before Kate could say any more, he touched her elbow softly, acknowledging her curiosity. "C'mon," he muttered softly, nodding down the hallway to the kitchen, gently guiding her away from the lively living room. Puzzled, Kate followed.

Unbeknownst to them, in a loveseat on the opposite side of the room, Lanie and Javi watched them intently as they walked out of the room. The couple had been worried about Castle all night as he moped about aimlessly, avoiding most attempts at conversation. That is, until Kate arrived—without Josh to the gang's surprise.

"You think she broke up with him?" Javi asked as he let his fingers gently caress her back as she sat in his lap.

"No, I don't think so," came Lanie's quick reply. "But Writer Boy seemed upset though."

"Well, Josh has the girl. So what do you expect?"

Lanie glared at him and jokingly smacked his cheek with her hand. He winced slightly at the contact, but smiled as she replaced her hand with her lips, brushing a kiss to soothe whatever _pain_ she inflicted. His chuckle rumbled through his chest as he wrapped his arms tighter.

"Do you think she'll realize it someday?" Lanie asked as she dropped her head to his shoulder.

Leaning in, he kissed her forehead softly. "I don't know, chica. I don't know."

…

Rick followed the hallway until he passed the threshold to the kitchen. No one seemed to be in the area, having all migrated to the heart of the party's activity in the living room. _Just as well_, he guessed.

She let out a small nervous chuckle and asked, "Is everything okay, Castle?"

He pursed his lips as he ran his fingers through his hair, uncertain of how to start this discussion. He moved to lean against the island counter in the middle of the kitchen. "Uhm, I—I don't know how to tell you this, Kate, but..." He trailed off, sighing heavily.

She grabbed his hand and tugged softly. "But what?"

The feel of her hand in his caused a spark to run up his arm and directly into his heart. So delicate, so soft. It conjured images of them together. Fantasies he knew would never become reality. His eyes wandered to their hands; he wanted to lace his fingers with hers. But that would be crossing a line, wouldn't it?

"Uhm, I," he stammered. "I think Josh is—I think he's lying to you." Silence enveloped them as he let the words sink in. Her only response was the furrow of her brows. "He doesn't have a family thing tonight," he continued. "He told me yesterday he would be here with you."

Kate let out a humorless chuckle. She tried to smile half-heartedly to hide the hurt. "Why are you telling me this?"

_Because he doesn't deserve you. Because I care. Because that should be me._

He sighed, studying their hands again. "Because—because I care. I don't want to see you get hurt, Kate."

"Thanks, Castle," she said softly, lightly cupping his cheek in gratitude.

"Y-you're not mad?" he asked. Weren't people supposed to lash out and blame the person who gave them unwelcome information of their significant other?

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Because I just told you that your boyfriend lied to you so that he could do whatever it is that he wanted to do tonight…"

She shook her head, smiling a bit. "I'm not mad at you. I'm a little mad at Josh, but not at you." Kate squeezed his hand. "I could never be mad at you." He raised an eyebrow, his mouth curling into a smirk. "Okay, most of the time," she conceded, putting the twinkle back in his blue gaze if only for a moment.

"What are you gonna do?"

"Talk to him, I guess," she shrugs. "What else can I do? It's not like a white lie is grounds for a break-up, Castle."

"Wha—I didn't—"

"You were not thinking very loudly," she pointed out. Rick sheepishly rubbed the back of neck, his other hand still wrapped around hers. "I know you don't approve, but Josh is a good guy," she said with a slight quirk of her lips. "He wouldn't do something without a reason."

Bowing his head, he resigned to the fact that his hopes of ever winning Kate's heart were practically nonexistent. He sighed, his shoulders sagging. _Back to the drawing board._

Kate playfully tapped his cheek before starting for the hallway, gently tugging him by the hand. "C'mon, let's get back to the party."

As they reached the threshold leading into the hallway, Rick stopped shy of exiting the kitchen, driving Kate to a halt. She spun around to face him.

"Wha—" Her breath caught as she was met by bright sapphire eyes that slowly melted her resolve. The game, the lies completely flew out of her mind. All she saw was him, staring back at her tenderly. She followed his eyes as he looked up at the doorframe where the elusive mistletoe had been hung.

Oh.

_Oh._

Their eyes met again—uncertain, yet full of wonder.

"Castle," she whispered breathlessly. She closed her eyes when she felt the soft touch of his fingers on her cheek, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear before gently cradling her head. Her right hand came up to rest on his chest in an attempt to keep her body steady as she felt his warm body invade her personal space. Hesitantly, he rested his hand on her hip, reflexively pulling her closer.

Was it worth risking everything for her? Was it worth wearing his heart on his sleeve to have it broken all over again? God, he wanted to kiss her, kiss her until she melted in his arms and she was kissing him back. It was all he wanted: to be with her. But if he kissed her, she would have to deal with the repercussions of their actions… the turmoil, the break-up, the gossip, and the stares. He couldn't do that to her. Not when he knew it would hurt her. How could anyone do that to someone they loved?

Wait…

_Love?_

Did he really love her?

One thing was certain: she had stolen his heart. Rick smiled affectionately at her, who was waiting—presumably—for the traditional mistletoe kiss. Worried that someone could witness their moment, he leaned in close enough to catch a whiff of her enchanting cherry scent. He was only a hair's breadth away from placing his lips on hers, their breaths mingling in the small space between them.

Kate's lips parted, fully expecting his kiss, but only to feel his lips lightly brush her cheek. He lingered, satisfied to stay where he was, but he knew he couldn't stay long. So, he pulled her close until he could whisper in her ear. "The first time I kiss you, it won't be because of some dumb tradition." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Our first kiss will happen when you're ready, when you finally realize _how much_ I truly care for you." He heard a soft hitch in her breathing, her fingers reflexively curling into his shirt. Feeling bold, he nuzzled his nose in her hair before finally whispering, "You have my heart. I'm not protecting it anymore."

He kissed her cheek once more before he pulled away far enough to see her face. He watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open, slightly dazed. When they met his, he saw a hint of revelation in her emerald depths, which were then quickly masked by sadness.

_Shit._

Before he could sputter out an apology, the loud chime of the doorbell startled them, breaking the spell they had woven beneath the mistletoe. Awkwardly, they pulled away from each other.

Kate immediately missed his warm touch as his arms fell to his sides. The emptiness she felt only added to the confusion and chaos of her lies. Why wasn't she with Castle? Why was she playing this game? He wanted her for god sakes!

She heard him clear his throat, bringing her attention back to the one guy who had wormed his way into her heart. And apparently, he wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

"C'mon," he whispered huskily. "Let's get back before Lanie comes looking for us."

She nods, if only slightly, before following his lead.

...

Somewhere in the middle of the party, a phone vibrated quietly, alerting it's owner of a text.

_Did he fall for it? -Josh_

…

**A/N: So there you have it. Another installment of Pulling Pigtails! With a small reference to FLO haha. Forgive me if it's a little less than what you expected. And yes, it took a while and my apologies would probably make no difference… but I am very sorry for the massive periods between updates. However, I will say I don't regret catching up on my sleep after only having an average 4-5 hours (or even less) a night during my fall semester lol. **

**Anyway, hopefully, you'll stick with me through this story. Plus, creative writing doesn't come easy to me. It takes me a while to translate what I've imagined in my head onto paper, and usually it isn't written as well as other talented writers. (Probably because I'm stuck with science classes ever day of my life haha)**

**And, I am shamelessly asking you to review my other story "No Longer" :x Please?**

**If you need me, follow me at _welcometofenwaypark(dot)tumblr(dot)com_ :) I'm there most of the time and it's easier for me to answer your questions back! And you can keep prodding and poking me there.**

_**Love it? Hate it?**_

**Until next time ;)**

**EDIT: I forgot to add that last part to the story... womp.**


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